adze

/ædz/

An adze is an old-fashioned kind of ax or hatchet, used to carve wood. The very oldest adze blades were made of stone.

Way back in ancient Egypt, an adze's stone blade was tied to its wooden handle. When metal blades replaced the stone ones, they were usually fitted into notches in the handle of the adze. These ax-like tools are still used today — their curved shape, with blades perpendicular to the handles, lends itself well to woodworking.

Definitions of adze

1. noun

   an edge tool used to cut and shape wood
   synonyms: adz

   type of:

   edge tool

   any cutting tool with a sharp cutting edge (as a chisel or knife or plane or gouge)