名詞 ax:

1. an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a handle
   同義詞：axe

動詞 ax:

1. chop or split with an ax
   同義詞：axe
2. terminate
   同義詞：axe

1. The hunter cut off the animal's head with one chop of an ax.
   獵人一斧砍下獵物的頭。
2. The heavy ax was awkward to use.
   這把重斧頭不好用。
3. Several of our plans got the ax when the new government came in.
   新政府上臺后，我們有幾個計劃被砍掉了。
4. The man cleft a block of wood in two with an ax.
   那人用斧頭把一塊木頭劈成兩半。
5. Five hundred jobs were axed as a result of government spending cuts.
   由于政府縮減經(jīng)費的緣故，有五百人被突然解雇了。

ax 或 axe

n.（名詞）
【復(fù)數(shù)】 ax.es[2k.sz]
A tool with a bladed, usually heavy head mounted crosswise on a handle, used for felling trees or chopping wood.
斧：一種帶刀片的工具，一般重的一頭十字交叉地安置在一個把手上，經(jīng)常用來伐樹或砍木頭
Any of various bladed, hand-held implements used as a cutting tool or weapon.
砍伐工具：任何一種有刀口的，可以手握的器具，用于砍伐的工具或武器
Informal A sudden termination of employment:
【非正式用語】 解雇：職業(yè)的突然終止：
例句：
My colleague got the ax yesterday.
我的同事昨天被解雇了

Slang A musical instrument, especially a guitar.
【俚語】 吉他：樂器，特別指吉他
v.tr.（及物動詞）
axed,ax.ing,ax.es
To use a heavy, bladed cutting implement in order to chop or fell (something).
用斧砍：使用沉重的帶刀口的砍伐器具砍或者砍倒（某物）
Informal To remove ruthlessly or suddenly:
【非正式用語】 削減，刪減：無情地或突然地去除：
例句：
a social program that was axed to effectuate budget cuts.
為實現(xiàn)預(yù)算削減而被無情去除的社會項目

<習(xí)慣用語>ax to grind
A selfish or subjective aim:
自私企圖，個人打算：自私或主觀的目的：
例句：
He claimed to be disinterested, but I knew he had an ax to grind.
他宣稱無私利，但我知道他另有企圖

來源：
Middle English
中古英語
from Old English ôx
源自 古英語 ôx

<注釋>To understand the origin of the idiomax to grind, we need to know thatgrind means .to sharpen.. This phrase is said to have come from a story by the 9th-century journalist Charles Miner (alias Poor Robert) about a seemingly friendly manwho was able by flattery to persuade a young boy to turn a grindstone for him.The tale first appeared in the Luzerne, Pennsylvania,Federalist on September 7, 80, under the title .Who`ll Turn Grindstonesô. and later in an 85 book entitledEssays from the Desk of Poor Robert the Scribe. Because .Poor Robert. was confused with .Poor Richard,.the story has often been erroneously attributed to Benjamin Franklin.The idiom itself is an Americanism—a word or expression originating in the United States.It was at first restricted to political contexts,but quotations from James Joyce (.Skin-the-Goat . . . evidently with an axe to grind, was airing his grievances.)and George Bernard Shaw (.distinguished statesmen of different nations . . . each with a national axe to grind.) attest that the phrase has traveled abroad and,as we know only too well, is no longer found only in political contexts.
為了理解成語ax to grind 的出處， 我們需要知道grind 意思是.磨尖.。 這個短語據(jù)說出自9世紀(jì)旅行家查爾斯·麥納（別名窮羅伯特）所寫的關(guān)于一個似乎很友善的人的故事，他能夠奉承地勸說一名男孩為他翻過一塊磨光石。這個傳說第一次出現(xiàn)在80年9月7日賓夕法尼亞州的盧澤恩，在80年9月7日題為.誰將推翻磨石.的聯(lián)邦制擁護(hù)者 中提到， 之后85年又在名為作家窮·羅伯特文集 一書中提到。 因為.poor Robert和"poor Richard.易被弄混淆，這個故事經(jīng)常被錯誤地認(rèn)為是本杰明·弗蘭克林創(chuàng)作的。這個成語本身是美國式的詞或表達(dá)源于美國。一開始被限于在政治性言詞的情況中使用，但是從以下的引文表明這個短語已廣泛地傳播，一個是引于詹姆斯·瓊斯（.這個顯然別有企圖的披著人皮的狼，正在訴苦.），另一個引自喬治·蕭伯納（.辨認(rèn)出不同國家的人…每個國家都有自己國家的打算.），正如我們所熟知的，它不會只在政治性言論的上下文間才可以找到的