poleax

US: (pōl′aks′)

Inflections of 'poleax' (n): npl: poleaxes

Inflections of 'poleax' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

poleaxes

v 3rd person singular

poleaxing

v pres p

poleaxed

v past

poleaxed

v past p

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

pole•ax  (pōl′aks′), n., pl. -ax•es (-ak′siz), v., -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. 

4. to strike down or kill with or as if with a poleax.

• 1300–50; Middle English pollax battle-ax, literally, head-ax (see poll¹, ax); akin to Middle Low German polexe