Albert Duhlap, aged 13, of Williamsport, Penna., for his question;

Why isn't the word axed in the dictionary?

You would have to hunt for this word in a dictionary. It does not appear among the words listed in heavy black type. It is a word formed from another word. A dictionary tries to give a lot of information in a very small space. Some of the most interesting information is given in shortened form. You have to do detective work to find it. Sometimes you have to put bits together to find a word.

For example, look up the listing ax in your dictionary. Next to it, also in heavy type, is axe. This means you spell a tree chopper either ax or axe. In paler type you will find a sort of shorthand, which tells you how the word is pronounced ‑ as if you didn't know;

You will also find a pale, sloping letter n. This dictionary shorthand for noun. The word ax is most often used as a name word, or noun. However, it can be used as a verb, or doing word, also. Your dictionary may or may not have a separate listing for ax as a verb. If so, it will show you the various forms of the word ax as a verb. You will.‑find an ing and an ed. These letters can be fixed onto the end of ax.

Axed, as you have guessed by now, means that you or someone else has used an ax. The lumberman axed a big tree is one way to use word. Mary Queen of Scots was axed ‑ she had her head chopped off with an ax!