Definition

Noun: A small, prehistoric stone tool with a sharpened edge, designed to be held directly in the hand and used for chopping, cutting, or scraping. It is one of the earliest and most fundamental human tools.

Usage

The term "hand axe" is used primarily in archaeology and anthropology to describe a specific class of early human tools. It is a countable noun.

Examples

• Archaeologists discovered a well-preserved hand axe at the dig site.
• The hand axe was a versatile tool for early humans, used for butchering animals and processing wood.
• This collection features hand axes from the Lower Paleolithic period.

Advanced Usage

• "Acheulean hand axe": A specific, often symmetrical and teardrop-shaped, type of hand axe associated with and early .
  • The Acheulean hand axe represents a significant leap in early human cognitive and technical skill.

Variants and Related Words

• Handaxe: An alternative, single-word spelling.
• Biface: A more general archaeological term for a stone tool that has been flaked on both sides (faces). Many hand axes are bifaces.
• Cleaver: A similar stone tool, but typically with a broader, straight cutting edge.

Synonyms

• Stone axe
• Prehistoric axe
• Bifacial tool (in a technical context)

Related Phrases

• To fashion a hand axe: To make or shape a hand axe from a stone core.
  • Early humans learned to fashion a hand axe from flint.

Noun

1. a stone tool with a cutting edge; the stone is held in the hand and used for chopping