Dictionary

battle axe en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. An ancient military weapon, an axe designed for combat, including (in heraldry) when borne on arms as a mark of prowess.
   • No Jute is left to wield a sword to save this hoard. No one is left to swing the battle-ax skyward. 1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 40:
   • Another battle-ax, in the same collection. 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page x:
2. (humorous, informal, sometimes) A domineering, antagonistic woman.
   • My mother-in-law is a real battle axe.
3. (informal) An electric guitar.
   • The instruments (one's named Baby) evoke tender talk from macho musicians. But some of these battle-ax beauties have seen more action than a roller derby queen: They bear the gashes and sweat stains to prove it. 2013, Kiley Armstrong, “"108 Rock Star Guitars" reveals battle-ax beauty”, in Associated Press:
4. (Australia) An allotment of land at the rear of another property, with a long, narrow strip of land connecting it to the roadway.

Forms

Relateds

polearm · twibill

Synonyms

shrew (antagonistic woman) · flag lot

Translations (58)

pl kobieton (belligerent woman) · fi amatsoni (belligerent woman) · el πέλεκυς (ancient military weapon) · lt kovos kirvis (ancient military weapon) · fi taistelukirves (ancient military weapon) · pt acha (ancient military weapon) · ota فاس (ancient military weapon) · ga tua chatha (ancient military weapon) · et tapper (ancient military weapon) · vo komipacüd (ancient military weapon) · ru секи́ра (ancient military weapon) · tr savaş baltası (ancient military weapon) · es hacha bélica (ancient military weapon) · sv stridsyxa (ancient military weapon) · pl topór bojowy (ancient military weapon) · cmn 大斧子 (ancient military weapon) · fr hache d'armes (ancient military weapon) · ca atxa (ancient military weapon) · eo batala hakilo (ancient military weapon) · hy տապար (ancient military weapon) · tr teber (ancient military weapon) · tr balta (ancient military weapon) · fa تبرزین (ancient military weapon) · sv drake (belligerent woman) · da stridsøkse (ancient military weapon) · xal балт (ancient military weapon) · et sõjakirves (ancient military weapon) · alt ай-малта (ancient military weapon) · cmn 戰斧 /战斧 (ancient military weapon) · fo stríðsøks (ancient military weapon) · hu csatabárd (ancient military weapon) · ru боево́й топо́р (ancient military weapon) · ka ნაჯახი (ancient military weapon) · mi piharoa (ancient military weapon) · ru бой-ба́ба (belligerent woman) · sv bila (ancient military weapon) · cmn 老潑婦 /老泼妇 (belligerent woman) · et võitluskirves (ancient military weapon) · kum айбалта (ancient military weapon) · fi sotakirves (ancient military weapon) · cmn 戚揚 /戚扬 (ancient military weapon) · de Streitaxt (ancient military weapon) · ka ცული (ancient military weapon) · pl megiera (belligerent woman) · pl harpia (belligerent woman) · ota بالطه (ancient military weapon) · nl strijdbijl (ancient military weapon) · pl herod-baba (belligerent woman) · ckb تەورزین (ancient military weapon) · uk топі́р (ancient military weapon) · es hacha de armas (ancient military weapon) · uk бойова соки́ра (ancient military weapon) · ota تبر (ancient military weapon) · sv rivjärn (belligerent woman) · pl hetera (belligerent woman) · it virago (belligerent woman) · grc πέλεκυς (ancient military weapon) · cmn 斧鉞 /斧钺 (ancient military weapon)