Meanings
present singular third person pickaxes · participle present pickaxing · participle past pickaxed · past pickaxed · alternative US pickax · alternative pick-axe
- To use a pickaxe.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna heavy iron tool with a wooden handle and a curved head that is pointed on both ends
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-West Germanic*pīk“sharp point, pike”
- Latinpicōsa“pickaxe”
- Old Frenchpicois
- Anglo-Norman*pikeis
- Middle Englishpykeaxe
- Englishpickaxe
Inherited from Middle English pykeaxe, pecaxe, pyke exe (“pickaxe”), an alteration (due to folk etymology association with pick and axe) of Middle English pikeyse, pikeys, pykois, from Anglo-Norman *pikeis, Old French picois, pecois, from Latin picōsa (“pickaxe”), from picca, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *pīk (“sharp point, pike”). Doublet of pique and pike.
More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مِعْوَل, فَأْس
- مِعْوَل (miʕwal)heavy iron tool
- فَأْس (faʔs)heavy iron tool
Basque pikotx
- pikotxheavy iron tool
Bulgarian кирка
- кирка (kirka)heavy iron tool
Catalan pic, piqueta
- picheavy iron tool
- piquetaheavy iron tool
Chinese Mandarin 鶴嘴鋤 /鹤嘴锄, 鶴嘴鎬 /鹤嘴镐
- 鶴嘴鋤 /鹤嘴锄 (háozuǐchú, hèzuǐchú)heavy iron tool
- 鶴嘴鎬 /鹤嘴镐 (háozuǐgǎo, hèzuǐgǎo)heavy iron tool
- 鎬頭 /镐头 (gǎotou)heavy iron tool
Czech krumpáč
- krumpáčheavy iron tool
Danish hakke
- hakkeheavy iron tool
Dutch pikhouweel, pikaks
- pikhouweelheavy iron tool
- pikaksheavy iron tool
Esperanto pikfosilo, pioĉo
- pikfosiloheavy iron tool
- pioĉoheavy iron tool
- pioĉito use a pickaxe
Estonian kirka
- kirkaheavy iron tool
Finnish hakku
- hakkuheavy iron tool
French pioche, piocher
- piocheheavy iron tool
- piocherto use a pickaxe
German Spitzhacke, Pickel
- Spitzhackeheavy iron tool
- Pickelheavy iron tool
Greek αξίνα
- αξίνα (axína)heavy iron tool
Hebrew מַכּוֹשׁ
- מַכּוֹשׁ (makósh)heavy iron tool
Hindi गैंती
- गैंती (ga͠itī)heavy iron tool
Hungarian csákány
- csákányheavy iron tool
Icelandic haki
- hakiheavy iron tool
Indonesian gancu, belencong
- gancuheavy iron tool
- belencongheavy iron tool
Irish piocóid
- piocóidheavy iron tool
Italian piccone
- picconeheavy iron tool
Japanese つるはし, 鶴嘴
- つるはし (tsuruhashi)heavy iron tool
- 鶴嘴 (tsuruhashi)heavy iron tool
Latin dolābra, picōsa
- dolābraheavy iron tool
- picōsaheavy iron tool
- pīccaheavy iron tool
Latvian cērte, kaplis
- cērteheavy iron tool
- kaplisheavy iron tool
Māori pika
- pikaheavy iron tool
Norwegian Bokmål hakke
- hakkeheavy iron tool
Persian کلنگ
- کلنگ (kolang)heavy iron tool
Polish kilof, oskard
- kilofheavy iron tool
- oskardheavy iron tool
- czekanheavy iron tool
- używać kilofato use a pickaxe
- użyć kilofato use a pickaxe
Portuguese picareta
- picaretaheavy iron tool
Romanian târnăcop
- târnăcopheavy iron tool
Russian кирка́, моты́га
- кирка́ (kirká)heavy iron tool
- моты́га (motýga)heavy iron tool
- кайло́ (kajló)heavy iron tool
- рыть (rytʹ)to use a pickaxe
Slovak krompáč
- krompáčheavy iron tool
Spanish pico, zapapico
- picoheavy iron tool
- zapapicoheavy iron tool
- sachoheavy iron tool
- piquetaheavy iron tool
- picarto use a pickaxe
Swedish korp, korphacka
- korpheavy iron tool
- korphackaheavy iron tool
Tagalog patik
- patikheavy iron tool
Thai อีเต้อ
- อีเต้อ (ii-dtə̂ə)heavy iron tool
Turkish kazma
- kazmaheavy iron tool
Ukrainian ка́йло, ки́рка
- ка́йло (kájlo)heavy iron tool
- ки́рка (kýrka)heavy iron tool
Vietnamese cuốc chim, cúp
- cuốc chimheavy iron tool
- cúpheavy iron tool
Zulu ipiki
- ipikiheavy iron tool
Cite this entry
pickaxe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pickaxe
“pickaxe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pickaxe. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pickaxe,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pickaxe.
Source: pickaxe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.