Pollaxe

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A historical weapon characterized by a long shaft and a blade used for chopping, it merges axe, spear, and hammer functionalities for combat applications
2. This weapon from the medieval period features a lengthy handle and combines elements of an axe, a spear tip, and a blunt striking surface for warfare
3. A heavy medieval polearm with a sharp blade and pointed tip designed for combat and armor penetration

Etymology: "Pollaxe" is an older spelling of "poleaxe," and the two forms share a history that has nothing to do with poles. The first element, "poll," is an old word for the head, so a pollax was literally a "head-axe," a weapon whose blade was used to strike at an opponent's skull. The second element is simply "axe," so the compound is a plain descriptive name for a tool used to deliver a blow to the head. The spelling is where the confusion comes in. Over time, English speakers began to associate the word with "pole," the long wooden shaft the weapon was mounted on, and the spelling shifted toward "poleaxe" to match. The pole did describe the weapon's form, since these were long-handled axes, so the new spelling felt natural even though it was not the original source of the word.