Meaning
cleaver; axe
- a heavy, broad butcher's cleaver
- an executioner's axe or the blade of a guillotine
In a sentence
Il macellaio tagliò le costate con un colpo netto di mannaia.
The butcher chopped the ribs with a clean blow of his cleaver.
La mannaia dei tagli al bilancio colpirà duramente tutti i settori.
The cleaver of budget cuts will hit all sectors hard.
Nel museo medievale è esposta una pesante mannaia d'acciaio.
A heavy steel executioner's axe is on display in the medieval museum.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| mannaia | feminine · singular |
| mannaie | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Often used metaphorically for harsh public spending cuts or sudden mass layoffs.