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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pol(l)-, Pow-ax, n. Also: -axe, -aix; and Paill-axe. [ME and e.m.E. pollax (14th c.), polax (Chaucer), polle-, also north. e.m.E. pul- (1567), MDu. pol-, pollaex, MLG and LG pol-, pollexe, f. pol, polle Poll n.² and Ax n.Cf. also ME polhache (1324), polhachet (1301), ? a kind of (non-military) axe with some special sort of head.]

A pole-axe: orig., a variety of short-handled battle-axe. Appar. also applied in earlier use, as argued by C.R. Beard, to a kind of mace with a spiked hammer-head balanced by a spike on the opposite side of the shaft. The late 16th c. and later Eng. spelling pole-ax (as if for ‘an axe on a (long) pole’) appears not to occur in Sc.(a) c1420 Wynt. iv 728.
On basnetys, schynand brycht Men mycht se pollaxis lycht 1456 Hay II 46/15.
There is gevin him [a knight] maisse, that is to say poll ax, in takenyng that he is officer ryale Ib. 47/17.
Quhen he has implyde his spere, his lang suerde, his polax, his false sterap c1515 Asl. MS. I 241/1.
Patrik Gray straik him nixt the king with ane poll ax on the hed and strak out his harnes 1513 Doug. iii Prol. 25.
He dowtis na dynt of polax, swerd nor mace Ib. xi Prol. 16.
Nother speir, buge, pol ax, swerd, knyfe nor mace Ib. xiii 105.
And throw hys armour all and his harn pan Hir braid poll ax, [L. validam … securim] rasyt so on hie With all hir fors … syne strykis sche 1543 Acts & Decr. I 562 b.
Tua Jedwart staifis price xij s. four poll aixis of thaim xxiiij s. 1601 Reg. Privy C. VI 305.
[Johne Dow M^cGregour Neikpatrik … with others, all armed with] habershois, polaixis, tua-handit suordis [and with hagbuts, pistolets and other unlawful weapons] 1638 Moncreiffs 611 n.
Ane swird, ane tairge, ane poll aix 1685 Soc. Ant. LVIII 356.
2 Muscoviter poll axes, a Pollonian poll axe(b) a1586 Lindsay MS. 73.
Lyk as ane mas or pow ax is strang aganis all armys 1561 Prestwick B. Rec. 66.
Ane slot staf, or ane pow ax, suerd and buklar 1567 Edinb. Test. I 28 b.
Ane jak ane steilbonnet ane powax 1589 St. A. B. Ct. 13 Aug.
Ane sourd, ane pow axe, ane hand bow 1604 Crim. Trials II 432.
[The Macgregors and other Highlanders] with … mailȝie-coittis, pow-aixes, tua-handit swoirdis [etc.] 1629 Reg. Privy C. 2 Ser. III 231.
[John Ramsay of Balnabreich and others, armed] with bandit stalffes, pow axes, partisans, jackes [etc.] Ib. 232.
Armed with pow axes, Jedbrugh stalffes and forkes