Dictionary

poleaxe en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈpoʊlˌæks/ (General-American)

Etymology

From earlier pollax, from poll (“head”) + axe, with the spelling influenced by pole.

Meanings

1. An ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle.
2. (historical) A long-handled battle axe, being a combination of ax, hammer and pike.

Forms

Hypernyms

polearm

Relateds

twibill · pole hammer

Translations (24)

ota ناجاق (ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle) · it mannaia (ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle) · de Schlachtbeil (ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle) · bg алебарда (battle axe) · orv топоръ (ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle) · ga tua búistéara (ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle) · ru берды́ш (battle axe) · ru боево́й топо́р (battle axe) · de Schlachterbeil (ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle) · kk айбалта (battle axe) · ru топо́р (ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle) · cmn 長柄斧 /长柄斧 (battle axe) · it scure (ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle) · de Kriegsaxt (battle axe) · fr hache d'armes (battle axe) · ota ناجاق (battle axe) · bg брадва (ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle) · pl topór bojowy (battle axe) · de Streitaxt (battle axe) · it mannaia (battle axe) · pt acha (battle axe) · pl topór (ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle) · ru секи́ра (ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle) · ru по́лэкс (battle axe)

poleaxe en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈpoʊlˌæks/ (General-American)

Etymology

From earlier pollax, from poll (“head”) + axe, with the spelling influenced by pole.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To fell someone with, or as if with, a poleaxe.
2. (figuratively, transitive) 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. 2020 July 26, Sam Jones, “'Everyone is panicking': UK quarantine decision shocks Britons in Spain”, in The Guardian:
3. (figuratively, transitive) 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. 2021 September 25, Zanny Minton Beddoes, “The Mess Merkel leaves behind”, in The Economist:

Forms

Translations (8)

pl ogłuszyć (to astonish, to shock) · bg съсичам (to beat as if with a poleaxe) · pl walnąć (to beat as if with a poleaxe) · de zusammenschlagen (to beat as if with a poleaxe) · de vor den Kopf stoßen (to astonish, to shock) · de schockieren (to astonish, to shock) · pl walić (to beat as if with a poleaxe) · pl ogłuszać (to astonish, to shock)