have an ax to grind

H h

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [hav uh n aks too grahynd]
- /hæv ən æks tu graɪnd/
- /həv ən æks tuː ɡraɪnd/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [hav uh n aks too grahynd]
- /hæv ən æks tu graɪnd/

Definitions of have an ax to grind words

noun plural have an ax to grind an instrument with a bladed head on a handle or helve, used for hewing, cleaving, chopping, etc. 1
noun plural have an ax to grind Jazz Slang. any musical instrument. 1
noun plural have an ax to grind the ax, Informal. dismissal from employment: to get the ax. expulsion from school. rejection by a lover, friend, etc.: His girlfriend gave him the ax. any usually summary removal or curtailment. 1
verb with object have an ax to grind to shape or trim with an ax. 1
verb with object have an ax to grind to chop, split, destroy, break open, etc., with an ax: The firemen had to ax the door to reach the fire. 1
verb with object have an ax to grind Informal. to dismiss, restrict, or destroy brutally, as if with an ax: The main office axed those in the field who didn't meet their quota. Congress axed the budget. 1

See all 8 definitions of have an ax to grind

Information block about the term

Origin of have an ax to grind

First appearance:

before 1000

One of the 6% oldest English words

before 1000; Middle English; ax(e), ex(e), Old English æx, æces; akin to Gothic aquizi, Old Norse øx, ǫx, Old High German acc(h)us, a(c)kus (German Axt), Middle High German plural exa < Germanic *akwiz-, akuz-, aksi- ≪ *ákəs, áks-; Latin ascia (< *acsiā), Greek axī́nē; < Indo-European *ag-s-

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Have an ax to grind

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Have an ax to grind

have an ax to grind popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

have an ax to grind usage trend in Literature

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