pickaxe (B2)

noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɪkæks/

Definition

A tool consisting of a long handle and a heavy head with a sharp point on one side and a chisel edge or another point on the other, used for breaking hard ground or rock.

Examples

• The prospector swung his pickaxe with practiced ease, chipping away at the stubborn shale.

• Archaeologists carefully used a small pickaxe to loosen the soil around the ancient pottery fragments.

• After hours of digging, his hands ached from gripping the heavy pickaxe.

Synonyms of pickaxe

Words with a similar meaning to pickaxe:

• mattock
• adze

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