Axing

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈæksɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The action of chopping or cutting using an axe ; the act of suddenly terminating or discarding something, especially a plan, project, or job
2. The process of striking with a broad bladed tool to split or shape wood ; the decision to stop or cancel activities or agreements immediately
3. The act of hacking or cleaving with an axe as a tool ; the abrupt dismissal or removal of something or someone from a position or undertaking

Etymology: "Axing" is the present participle of "ax," and its history turns on a sound swap. The Old English verb was "ācsian" or "āxian," meaning to ask or inquire, and it was later rearranged by metathesis from the older "āscian." The verb's sense of asking was the one it kept longest, which is why the word is so tied to the idea of seeking information. The tool sense is a different matter. The noun "ax" for a chopping implement comes from Old English "æx," a separate word with a different root, and the two forms converged in spelling until "ax" became the standard spelling of the tool. The verb meaning to strike with such a blade, and later to cut off or dismiss, grew out of that tool's use. The sense of cancelling or dropping something abruptly is a modern extension, drawn from the image of chopping something away. Since the "ask" and "chop" words were once distinct, the modern spelling "ax" carries two unrelated histories at once.

Synonyms: cutting, chopping, slashing, trimming, removing

Antonyms: adding, increasing, expanding, including, retaining