A person skilled at using an axe, either as a tool for chopping wood or in historical contexts, as a weapon.
Compound of 'axe' + 'man'. Used since medieval times, it referred to soldiers who wielded axes in battle and later to woodcutters.
Medieval armies ranked axemen among their most feared soldiers because axes could split shields and armor that swords couldn't pierce!
The suffix '-man' historically defaulted to masculine when referring to occupational roles, even when performed by women. This reflects mid-20th century labor segregation where axe-wielding and tool-use professions were coded masculine.
Use 'axe-wielder' or 'axe-user' to describe the role without gender assumption.
["axe-wielder","axe-user","person with an axe"]
Women historically used axes in forestry, combat, and craft work; this gendered language erasure obscured their contributions to timber industries and armed resistance movements.
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