💥 To knock down 🪓 A battle ax 🔨 A slaughter tool

poleax

9.9

A long-handled ax with a hammer or spike used in medieval battles

noun
/ˈpoʊlˌæks/

Archaic

: pico

During the reenactment, the actor skillfully swung his poleax to demonstrate its use in medieval warfare.

Examples

In medieval times, a poleax was a common weapon.
During the siege, soldiers used a poleax to breach the castle doors.
Museum visitors admired the ornate poleax on display in the medieval armor collection.
The knight wielded a heavy poleax during the tournament.
The knight wielded a poleax during the battle.
The knight raised his poleax in preparation for the battle to come.
The warrior carried a majestic poleax, a formidable weapon designed for close combat.

Synonyms

polearm

vspoleax

1 9.9

A long shaft with a blade or point used to fight from a distance

is a specific long handled axe form within that broader class

hammer axe

vspoleax

Archaic

9.9

A weapon with a hammer head on one side and an axe blade on the other for fighting

is the long handled axe type that often pairs with a spike

poleaxe

vspoleax

Archaic

9.9

A heavy axe with a long handle used in battle

is chiefly a medieval battlefield weapon often combining a spike or hammer

pole weapon

vspoleax

8.1

A long wooden pole with a sharp or heavy end used for fighting

is a specific long handled axe type rather than any shaft mounted weapon

How Heavy

maul

21 7.5

poleax

Archaic

9.9

halberd

Archaic

1 9.9

129 1.0

hatchet

57 3.8

Surface Forms

poleax singular

poleaxes plural

Morphology

poleax = pole + axe (transparent) = pole + axe

The compound is clearly composed of 'pole' + 'axe' and denotes an axe mounted on a pole, which is readily inferable by learners.

Etymology

Poleax comes from joining pole 'long stick' and axe 'cutting tool', so it originally meant an ax on a long handle used in battle. That's why a poleax was a heavy weapon for breaking armor, gates, or shields.