ax n Also earlier ax tree [OED ax n. “Obsolete or dialect.,” ax-tree n. “Obsolete exc. dialect.,” EDD ax sb.1] chiefly Nth Cf dead-ax wagon n, ex n1
An axle.
1664 in 1927 Gardiner Gardiners of Gardiner’s Is. 51 eLong Is. NY, Ax tree pins, Linch pins 8 & 3 washers. 1702 in 1887 Hill Family Rec. Converse ceMA, To Cart wheels, boxes & axtrees, pins. . . 002 06 00. 1759 in 1911 Dow Holyoke Diaries 21 MA, Returnd home. Memo broke my Ax tree. 1902 Perry Co. Sun (Perryville MO) 31 July [2]/3, When the wheel came off[,] that side of the wagon dropped down with such force as to break the axtree. 1939 LANE Map 188, Names for the wagon axle were incidentally recorded in connection with the verb grease. . . 1 inf, nwMA [æks]; 1 inf, nwVT, [wægən æks]. 1950 WELS 3 Infs, WI, Ax. 1965–70 DARE (Qu. L48, The part of a wagon that goes crosswise underneath and has a wheel at each end) Infs CA163, IL7, MI8, MN23, 42, NY102, PA103, 120, 158, RI8, SD2, Ax; CA87, Wagon ax.