axman

noun

ax·​man ˈaks-mən 

plural axmen

1

: one who wields an ax

2

slang : a guitarist especially in a jazz or rock band

There was nothing pedestrian about the first show of the Pearl Jam tour. Some highlights of the high-octane performance: Lead axman Mike McCready smashed his guitar to pieces …

—Michael Goldberg

3

informal : someone who is responsible for making cuts in staff, funding, etc.

a corporate axman

Examples of axman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the meantime, axman Frank Hannon has a heap of solo material in his vault to keep him busy. —Aaron Davis, sacbee, 9 Mar. 2018

Guitar guru and longtime Ozzy Osbourne axman Zakk Wylde performed with his Black Label Society. —Liz Ramanand, Billboard, 26 Jan. 2018

Behind those bankside reeds lay hardwood forests, which axmen cleared next. —Richard Campanella, NOLA.com, 10 Jan. 2018

That method of entry was replicated in several killings attributed to the mysterious axman, including the attack on the Maggios. —James Karst, NOLA.com, 20 Aug. 2017

The battle between these two shaping forces—between the axman assaulting the old growth and the still firm soil and deep roots that support the tree of liberty—will now shape the future of us all. ♦ —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 2 Feb. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1671, in the meaning defined at sense 1