poleax: Meaning and Definition of

pole•ax

Pronunciation: (pōl'aks"), [key]
— n., pl. v., -ax•es -axed, -ax•ing.
—n.
  1. a medieval shafted weapon with blade combining ax, hammer, and apical spike, used for fighting on foot.
  2. an ax, usually with a hammer opposite the cutting edge, used in stunning and slaughtering animals.
  3. an ax with both a blade and a hook, formerly used in naval warfare to assist sailors in boarding vessels.
—v.t.
  1. to strike down or kill with or as if with a poleax.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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