A Quick and Simple Dictionary

axe

1. 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.
2. Noun.  An ancient weapon consisting of a head that has one or two blades and a long handle.
3. Noun.  (informal) A dismissal or rejection.
4. Noun.  (slang, music) A gigging musician's particular instrument, especially a guitar in rock music or a saxophone in jazz.
5. Noun.  (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”.[http://www.risk.net/public/showPage.html?page=132529 Shedding the correlation ‘axe’], Risk magazine Derived from “have an axe to grind”, which is also used.
6. Verb.  (transitive) To fell or chop with an axe.
7. Verb.  (transitive) To terminate or reduce tremendously in a rough or ruthless manner.
8. Verb.  (transitive) To lay off: to terminate a person's employment.
9. Noun.  (archaic) The axle of a wheel.
10. Verb.  To furnish with an axle.
11. Verb.  (obsolete, or) (alternative form of, ask) .