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

  1. A heavy iron tool with a wooden handle; one end...

Ancestry of “pickaxe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchpicois
2Latinpicosapickaxe
3Latinpīcamagpie
4Proto-Indo-European(s)peyk-name of a bird; woodpecker; magpie

Words derived from “pickaxe

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)peyk-Every word from Latin pīcaEvery word from Latin picosa
pickaxe — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer