poleaxe
noun
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L325656 on Wikidata ↗verb
No English definition recorded for this entry.
L332537 on Wikidata ↗Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈpoʊlˌæks/
noun
Etymology: From earlier pollax, from poll (“head”) + axe, with the spelling influenced by pole.
- An ax having both a blade and a hammer face; used to slaughter cattle.
- A long-handled battle axe, being a combination of ax, hammer and pike.
verb
Etymology: From earlier pollax, from poll (“head”) + axe, with the spelling influenced by pole.
- To fell someone with, or as if with, a poleaxe.
- 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.”
- 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.”