Western ax

5.9

A tool with a head that has sharp edges on both sides used for chopping wood

noun
/ˈwɛstərn æks/

: hacha occidental

The lumberjack preferred a Western ax for felling large trees in the forest.

Examples

Using a Western ax can be more efficient because both edges stay sharp longer.
She admired the old Western ax hanging above the fireplace as a piece of history.
The Western ax is sharp.
I love my Western ax!
The lumberjack preferred a Western ax for felling large trees in the forest.
She admired the old Western ax hanging above the fireplace as a piece of history.
Using a Western ax can be more efficient because both edges stay sharp longer.

Synonyms

vsWestern ax

129 1.0

A tool with a heavy blade on a handle for chopping wood

is a specific double edged form linked to a regional craft tradition

double-bitted ax

vsWestern ax

8.3

An ax with sharp blades on both sides of the head

is similar but tied to a specific regional toolmaking tradition

Surface Forms

Western ax singular

Western axes plural

Morphology

western + ax

The noun phrase is directly compositional: 'western' (characteristic of the Western US/region) modifies 'ax' (a chopping tool), so the meaning 'an ax characteristic of Western styles/regions' is derivable from its parts. This straightforward adjective+noun combination follows common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Western ax may come from tools used by settlers and lumberjacks in the American West, where a wide, heavy ax with blades on both sides was common. The picture of a worker using a 'double-sided' ax helps explain why the name means an ax with cutting edges on both sides.