pickaxe
noun /ˈpɪkæks/
/ˈpɪkæks/
(North American English also pickax)
(also pick)
- a large heavy tool that has a curved metal bar with sharp ends fixed at the centre to a wooden handle. It is used for breaking rocks or hard ground.
enlarge imageOxford Collocations DictionaryPickaxe/pickax is used before these nouns:- handle
Word OriginMiddle English pikoys, from Old French picois; related to pike ‘weapon’. The change in the ending was due to association with axe.
