poleaxe
English
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poleaxe
- /ˈpoʊlˌæks/ US
Where it comes from
From earlier pollax, from poll (“head”) + axe, with the spelling influenced by pole.
noun poleaxes · poleax · pole-axe · pollaxe · pollax · polax
- An ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle.
- A long-handled battle axe, being a combination of ax, hammer and pike.
verb poleaxes · poleaxing · poleaxed · poleax · pole-axe
- To fell someone with, or as if with, a poleaxe.
- To astonish; to shock or surprise utterly. Lisa Griffin, who runs Brew Rock and an Irish pub in nearby Benidorm, was as poleaxed by the announcement as her customers were.
- To stymie, thwart, cripple, paralyze. After a lacklustre campaign that has failed to grapple with Germany’s looming problems, the world should expect post-election coalition talks to last for months, poleaxing European politics while they drag on.
Translations
Every language
noun ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle
| Deutsch | Schlachterbeil, Schlachtbeil |
|---|---|
| Italiano | mannaia, scure |
| Русский | топо́р topór, секи́ра sekíra |
noun battle axe
| 中文 | 長柄斧 /长柄斧 chángbǐngfǔ |
|---|---|
| Português | acha |
| Français | hache d'armes |
| Deutsch | Kriegsaxt, Streitaxt |
| Italiano | mannaia |
| Русский | боево́й топо́р bojevój topór, по́лэкс pólɛks, берды́ш berdýš |
verb to beat as if with a poleaxe
| Deutsch | zusammenschlagen |
|---|
verb to astonish, to shock
| Deutsch | schockieren, vor den Kopf stoßen |
|---|
Talk about this word "poleaxe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/poleaxe. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. poleaxe. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/poleaxe "poleaxe." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/poleaxe.Cite this
@misc{poleaxe_2026,
title = {poleaxe},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/poleaxe},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
