"ax to grind" meaning in English

See ax to grind in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: axes to grind [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun|axes to grind}} ax to grind (plural axes to grind)
  1. (American spelling) A proposition or point of view to advocate, especially motivated by self-interest. Tags: US Translations (proposition or point of view): een appeltje te schillen (Dutch), intressi (Finnish), intention cachée (French), intentions cachées (French), tochrais ar do cheirtlín féin (english: to have an ax to grind) (Irish), interesse personale [masculine] (Italian), carta da giocare [feminine] (Italian), rimprovero [masculine] (Italian)
    Sense id: en-ax_to_grind-en-noun-1-uhJF9w Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 59 41
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: axe to grind
Etymology number: 1

Noun

Forms: axes to grind [plural]
Etymology: A reference to someone sharpening an axe with the intent to kill someone. Head templates: {{en-noun|axes to grind}} ax to grind (plural axes to grind)
  1. (American spelling) A grudge or grievance, with implications of confrontation. Tags: US Derived forms: have an ax to grind Related terms: bone to pick
    Sense id: en-ax_to_grind-en-noun-i7vkb4O~
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: axe to grind
Etymology number: 2

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for ax to grind meaning in English (3.7kB)

{
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "axes to grind",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "axes to grind"
      },
      "expansion": "ax to grind (plural axes to grind)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "59 41",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1976 July 8, New Scientist, volume 71, number 1008, page 77",
          "text": "The design has had a rather contentious journey through the various technical committees set up by the EEC to study the problem; individual member nations with particular axes to grind holding up the proceedings at regular intervals.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A proposition or point of view to advocate, especially motivated by self-interest."
      ],
      "id": "en-ax_to_grind-en-noun-1-uhJF9w",
      "links": [
        [
          "point of view",
          "point of view"
        ],
        [
          "advocate",
          "advocate"
        ],
        [
          "self-interest",
          "self-interest"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(American spelling) A proposition or point of view to advocate, especially motivated by self-interest."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "proposition or point of view",
          "word": "een appeltje te schillen"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "proposition or point of view",
          "word": "intressi"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "proposition or point of view",
          "word": "intention cachée"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "proposition or point of view",
          "word": "intentions cachées"
        },
        {
          "code": "ga",
          "english": "to have an ax to grind",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "proposition or point of view",
          "word": "tochrais ar do cheirtlín féin"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "proposition or point of view",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "interesse personale"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "proposition or point of view",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "carta da giocare"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "proposition or point of view",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "rimprovero"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "axe to grind"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ax to grind"
}

{
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_text": "A reference to someone sharpening an axe with the intent to kill someone.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "axes to grind",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "axes to grind"
      },
      "expansion": "ax to grind (plural axes to grind)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "have an ax to grind"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2019 February 27, David Seidenberg, “A Tikkun for Tikkun Olam? How ‘To Heal the World?’ Corrupts Debate & Endangers Judaism”, in Jewish Journal",
          "text": "If one is not just writing history but also trying to condemn and “demolish” one’s enemy, as Neumann is, you need a deeper level of introspection, and a high standard of proof. If not, it’s better to let “silence be a fence for wisdom.” (Pirkei Avot 3:13) It’s not possible to maintain the curiosity and openness you need for real research if you have such a big ax to grind.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A grudge or grievance, with implications of confrontation."
      ],
      "id": "en-ax_to_grind-en-noun-i7vkb4O~",
      "links": [
        [
          "grudge",
          "grudge"
        ],
        [
          "grievance",
          "grievance"
        ],
        [
          "implication",
          "implication"
        ],
        [
          "confrontation",
          "confrontation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(American spelling) A grudge or grievance, with implications of confrontation."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "bone to pick"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "axe to grind"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ax to grind"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns"
  ],
  "etymology_number": 1,
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "axes to grind",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "axes to grind"
      },
      "expansion": "ax to grind (plural axes to grind)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English forms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1976 July 8, New Scientist, volume 71, number 1008, page 77",
          "text": "The design has had a rather contentious journey through the various technical committees set up by the EEC to study the problem; individual member nations with particular axes to grind holding up the proceedings at regular intervals.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A proposition or point of view to advocate, especially motivated by self-interest."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "point of view",
          "point of view"
        ],
        [
          "advocate",
          "advocate"
        ],
        [
          "self-interest",
          "self-interest"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(American spelling) A proposition or point of view to advocate, especially motivated by self-interest."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "axe to grind"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "proposition or point of view",
      "word": "een appeltje te schillen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "proposition or point of view",
      "word": "intressi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "proposition or point of view",
      "word": "intention cachée"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "proposition or point of view",
      "word": "intentions cachées"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "english": "to have an ax to grind",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "proposition or point of view",
      "word": "tochrais ar do cheirtlín féin"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "proposition or point of view",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "interesse personale"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "proposition or point of view",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "carta da giocare"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "proposition or point of view",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "rimprovero"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ax to grind"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "have an ax to grind"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_number": 2,
  "etymology_text": "A reference to someone sharpening an axe with the intent to kill someone.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "axes to grind",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "axes to grind"
      },
      "expansion": "ax to grind (plural axes to grind)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "bone to pick"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English forms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2019 February 27, David Seidenberg, “A Tikkun for Tikkun Olam? How ‘To Heal the World?’ Corrupts Debate & Endangers Judaism”, in Jewish Journal",
          "text": "If one is not just writing history but also trying to condemn and “demolish” one’s enemy, as Neumann is, you need a deeper level of introspection, and a high standard of proof. If not, it’s better to let “silence be a fence for wisdom.” (Pirkei Avot 3:13) It’s not possible to maintain the curiosity and openness you need for real research if you have such a big ax to grind.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A grudge or grievance, with implications of confrontation."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "grudge",
          "grudge"
        ],
        [
          "grievance",
          "grievance"
        ],
        [
          "implication",
          "implication"
        ],
        [
          "confrontation",
          "confrontation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(American spelling) A grudge or grievance, with implications of confrontation."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "axe to grind"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ax to grind"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-30 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (210104c and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.