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Sword vs Axe - What's the difference?

sword | axe |

As nouns the difference between sword and axe

is that sword is (weaponry) a long-bladed weapon having a handle and sometimes a hilt and designed to stab, hew, or slice while axe is a tool for felling trees or chopping wood etc consisting of a heavy head flattened to a blade on one side, and a handle attached to it or axe can be (archaic) the axle of a wheel.

As a verb axe is

to fell or chop with an axe or axe can be to furnish with an axle or axe can be (obsolete|or|dialectal).

sword

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (obsolete)

Noun

(en noun)
  • (weaponry) A long-bladed weapon having a handle and sometimes a hilt and designed to stab, hew, or slice.
  • * 1591 , William Shakespeare, Henry VI , Part III, Act II, Scene II, line 59.
    • Unsheathe your sword and dub him presently.
  • * 1786 , Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons , page 49.
    • Some swords were also made solely to thrust, and some only to cut; others were equally adapted for both.
  • Someone paid to handle a sword.
  • (tarot) A suit in the minor arcana in tarot.
  • (tarot) A card of this suit.
  • (weaving) One of the end bars by which the lay of a hand loom is suspended.

    • Derived terms

    * bastardsword * broadsword * double-edged sword * fall on one’s sword * longsword * pork sword * put to the sword * samurai sword * short sword * sword bayonet * swordbill * sword cane * swordcraft * sword dance * sword fern * swordfish * sword grass * sword knot * sword lily * sword of Damocles * swordbearer, sword-bearer * swordbearing, sword-bearing * swordplay * swordsman * swordsmanship * swordstick * sword-swallower

    Coordinate terms

    * (weaponry) bayonet, claymore, cutlass, epee, , falchion, foil, katana, knife, machete, rapier, sabre, saber, scimitar, vorpal, yataghan, yatagan

    Anagrams

    * words 1000 English basic words

    axe

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl), from (etyl) , and also (etyl) (m).

    Alternative forms

    * ax (largely US)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A tool for felling trees or chopping wood etc. consisting of a heavy head flattened to a blade on one side, and a handle attached to it.
  • An ancient weapon consisting of a head that has one or two blades and a long handle.
  • (informal) A dismissal or rejection.
    • His girlfriend/boss/schoolmaster gave him the axe .
  • * 1975 , (Bob Dylan), (Tangled Up in Blue)
    • I had a job in the great North Woods
    Workin' as a cook for a spell.
    But I never did like it all that much
    And one day the axe just fell.
  • (slang, music) A gigging musician's particular instrument, especially a guitar in rock music or a saxophone in jazz.
  • (finance) A directional position or interest, by a dealer in a financial market – if one wishes to unload stock, one is “axed to sell” or “has an axe”. Shedding the correlation ‘axe’, Risk magazine Derived from “have an axe to grind”, which is also used.
    • Usage notes
    In the United States, this spelling is often used to distinguish the weapon from the tool, though some simply don't use the "ax" spelling at all, and only use "axe".
    Synonyms
    * chop, pink slip, sack, boot
    Derived terms
    * have an axe to grind * battle axe * axeman
    See also
    * adze * hatchet * twibill

    Verb

    (ax)
  • To fell or chop with an axe.
  • To terminate or reduce tremendously in a rough or ruthless manner.
    • The government announced its plans to axe public spending.
    The broadcaster axed the series because far less people than expected watched it.
  • To lay off: to terminate a person's employment
    • He got axed in the last round of firings.
    Synonyms
    * (lay off) fire, lay off, downsize

    Etymology 2

    Alternative forms

    * (US)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (archaic) The axle of a wheel.

    • Verb

    (ax)
  • To furnish with an axle.

    • Etymology 3

    Verb

    (ax)
  • (obsolete, or, dialectal)
  • * 1395 , John Wycliffe, trans. Bible , 1 Corinthis 14:35:
    • But if thei wolen ony thing lerne, at home axe thei her hosebondis; for it is foule thing to a womman to speke in chirche.
  • * 1526 , William Tyndale, trans. Bible , Luke IIi:
    • And the people axed hym, sayinge: What shall we do then.

    References

    English terms with multiple etymologies ----