ax or axe

ax1 or axe [ æks ] noun count *

a tool used for cutting down trees and cutting up large pieces of wood, consisting of a long wooden handle and a heavy metal blade

the ax MAINLY JOURNALISM

a situation in which a government, a company, or an organization decides to end something or to get rid of a worker or their job:

Two schools face the ax.

give someone/something the ax: Many workers were given the ax in the merger of the two companies.

have an ax to grind INFORMAL

to have an opinion that you are trying to persuade others to share or an idea that you are trying to persuade others to take action about:

Unlike some government departments, these organizations have no political ax to grind.

ax

ax 2 [ æks ] verb transitive MAINLY JOURNALISM

to close a business, stop providing a service, or make people lose their jobs:

The program will be back on television in the fall, five months after it was almost axed by the network.