Where does “pickaxe” come from?
Pickaxe comes from Old French picois, a tool name of uncertain ultimate origin and meaning.
pickaxe (English): A heavy iron tool with a wooden handle; one end...
Definitions
- A heavy iron tool with a wooden handle; one end...
Ancestry of “pickaxe”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | picois | — |
| 2 | Latin | picosa | pickaxe |
| 3 | Latin | pīca | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)peyk- | name of a bird; woodpecker; magpie |
Words derived from “pickaxe”