|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
poleaxe
poleaxe, a boarding weapon used by seamen in the days of sailing navies. It had a wooden handle about 38 centimetres (15 in.) long with an axe head which had a curved spike at the back. The blade of the axe was used to cut away the running rigging of an enemy ship after it had been boarded. The spike at the back was often used to assist men in clambering up the side of the ship in the act of boarding as several of these axes would be driven into the side of the enemy ship one above the other to form a sort of ladder. It was also, of course, a handy weapon to knock flat an adversary when boarding, which accounts for it becoming part of everyday language.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"poleaxe." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "poleaxe." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-poleaxe.html "poleaxe." The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. 2006. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O225-poleaxe.html |
|
poleaxe
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "poleaxe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "poleaxe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-poleaxe.html T. F. HOAD. "poleaxe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-poleaxe.html |
|
poleaxe
poleaxe •axe (US ax), Backs, Bax, fax, flax, lax, max, pax, Sachs, sax, saxe, tax, wax
•co-ax • addax • Fairfax • Ceefax
•Halifax • Telefax • Filofax • banjax
•Ajax
•pickaxe (US pickax) • gravlax
•gravadlax • poleaxe • toadflax
•parallax
•battleaxe (US battleax)
•minimax • climax • Betamax • anthrax
•hyrax
•borax, storax, thorax
•syntax • surtax • beeswax • earwax
•Berks, Lourenço Marques, Marks, Marx, Parks, Sparks
•annex, convex, ex, flex, hex, perplex, Rex, sex, specs, Tex, Tex-Mex, vex
•ibex • index • codex • tubifex
•spinifex • pontifex • Telex • triplex
•simplex • multiplex
•ilex, silex
•complex • duplex • circumflex • Amex
•annexe • Kleenex • apex • Tipp-Ex
•haruspex • perspex • Pyrex
•Durex, Lurex, murex
•Middlesex • unisex • Semtex • latex
•cortex, Gore-tex, vortex
•vertex • Jacques
•breeks, idée fixe, maxixe, Weeks
|
|
|
Cite this article
"poleaxe." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "poleaxe." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-poleaxe.html "poleaxe." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-poleaxe.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
