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Glite Dictionary
common ax

common ax

1.9
A tool with a long handle and a head with one sharp edge and one blunt side for chopping wood
  • noun
  • /ˈkɑːmən æks/
  • US
translation icon : hacha
  • He swung the common ax with practiced skill, splitting the log cleanly in half.

Examples

  • The lumberjack grabbed his common ax to cut down the old pine tree.

  • The common ax is essential for chopping firewood.

  • A common ax is designed for versatility, making it a staple in many tool sheds.

  • He used a common axe to split the logs.

  • The lumberjack grabbed his common ax to chop firewood for the cold winter nights.

  • She used a common ax to successfully fell the large oak tree in her backyard.

  • A well-maintained common ax makes chopping wood much easier and more efficient.

Synonyms

ax
vscommon ax
  • US
129 1.0

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

has a specific long handle and one cutting edge with a blunt side
Dayton ax
vscommon ax
  • US
8.1

A long-handled ax with one sharp edge and one flat side used for chopping wood

is the general-purpose version used mainly for basic wood chopping

How Heavy

common ax
  • US
1.9
hatchet
57 3.8
pocket knife
12 2.2

Surface Forms

common ax singular
common axs plural
common axes plural
common axe singular

Morphology

common + ax

The meaning is compositionally transparent: the adjective 'common' (typical) simply modifies the noun 'ax' (a chopping tool), yielding 'a typical/ordinary axe.' This straightforward adjective+noun pattern is cross-linguistically regular and would be understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Common ax is a simple name for an ordinary axe. The word common means ordinary and ax is the tool with a long handle, one sharp edge and a blunt side, so the name points to a plain 'all-purpose' tool used 'to chop wood' and do everyday jobs.