Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

axe

1 noun
     
axe
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axe1 also ax American English [countable]
1TZ a tool with a heavy metal blade on the end of a long handle, used to cut down trees or split pieces of wood ➔ pickaxe
2

the axe

informal if someone gets the axe, they are dismissed from their job:
100 workers are facing the axe in a cost-cutting exercise.
3

the axe

informal if a plan, system, or service gets the axe, someone gets rid of it:
MPs know there will be cuts in public spending but do not know on which department the axe will fall.
4

have an axe to grind

to have a strong personal opinion about something which is the reason why you do something:
I need objective advice from someone with no axe to grind.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
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