ax
I
  (US)   ( or   axe) /ˈæks/  noun  ,  pl   ax·es [  count  ]
  : a tool that has a heavy metal blade and a long handle and that is used for chopping wood — see also ice ax, pickax
  ax to grind
   : a hidden and often selfish purpose for doing something.
    He had a political ax to grind with his opponent.
    She claims that she has no ax to grind in criticizing the proposed law.
  escape the ax
    informal   : to avoid being ended, eliminated, reduced, etc.
    The school program escaped the ax this year. [=the school program was not cut/eliminated this year]
  get the ax
    informal   : to lose your job : to be fired from your job
    The employees with less experience got the ax. [=were fired]
  give (someone) the ax
    informal   : to dismiss (someone) from a job : to fire (someone)
    His boss gave him the ax.
  take the/an ax to
    informal   : to eliminate (something) or reduce (something) severely
    Congress took an ax to the program. [=Congress made severe cuts in the program]
————————
II
 ( or   axe)  verb  , axes, axed, ax·ing [  + obj  ]
   informal  
  1 : to cut or remove (something)
   The television program was axed [=dropped] from the new schedule.
  2 : to fire (someone)
   The boss told him that he had been axed.