- a hand tool with one side of its head forged and sharpened to a cutting edge, used for felling trees, splitting timber, etc
- an axe to grind
- an ulterior motive
- a grievance
- a pet subject
- the axe informal
- dismissal, esp from employment; the sack (esp in the phrase get the axe)
- severe cutting down of expenditure, esp the removal of unprofitable sections of a public service
- any musical instrument, esp a guitar or horn
- to chop or trim with an axe
- to dismiss (employees), restrict (expenditure or services), or terminate (a project)
