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poleaxe

noun
/ˈpoʊlˌæks/US

Etymology

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

  1. inherited from *h₂egʷsih₂✻
  2. inherited from *akwisī✻
  3. inherited from *akusi✻
  4. inherited from æx
  5. inherited from ax
  6. formed as poleaxe — “poll + axe”

Definitions

  1. An ax having both a blade and a hammer face

    An ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle.

  2. A long-handled battle axe, being a combination of ax, hammer and pike.

  3. To fell someone with, or as if with, a poleaxe.

  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. To astonish

      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.

    2. 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.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for poleaxe. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA