axis

[ ak-sis ]

/ ˈæk sɪs /

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See synonyms for: axis / axes on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ax·es

[ak-seez]. /ˈæk siz/.

the line about which a rotating body, such as the earth, turns.

Mathematics.

a central line that bisects a two-dimensional body or figure.
a line about which a three-dimensional body or figure is symmetrical.

Anatomy.

a central or principal structure, about which something turns or is arranged: the skeletal axis.
the second cervical vertebra.

Botany. the longitudinal support on which organs or parts are arranged; the stem and root; the central line of any body.

Analytic Geometry. any line used as a fixed reference in conjunction with one or more other references for determining the position of a point or of a series of points forming a curve or a surface.Compare x-axis, y-axis.

Crystallography. crystallographic axis.

Aeronautics. any one of three lines defining the attitude of an airplane, one being generally determined by the direction of forward motion and the other two at right angles to it and to each other.

Fine Arts. an imaginary line, in a given formal structure, about which a form, area, or plane is organized.

an alliance of two or more nations to coordinate their foreign and military policies, and to draw in with them a group of dependent or supporting powers.

the Axis, (in World War II) Germany, Italy, and Japan, often with Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania.

a principal line of development, movement, direction, etc.

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Origin of axis

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; from Latin axis “an axletree, axle, axis”; see origin at axi-

OTHER WORDS FROM axis

ax·ised

[ak-sist], /ˈæk sɪst/, adjectiveun·ax·ised, adjective

Words nearby axis

axiom, axiomatic, axiom of choice, axiom of countability, axion, axis, axis deer, axis of evil, axis of revolution, axis of symmetry, Axis powers

Other definitions for axis (2 of 2)

axis²

[ ak-sis ]

/ ˈæk sɪs /

noun, plural ax·is·es.

axis deer.

Origin of axis

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin axis “a wild animal of India, perhaps the spotted deer” (Pliny)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use axis in a sentence

Like Copernicus’ heliocentric model of the solar system, sometimes revolutions occur by a simple shift in the axis of rotation.
Dawn of the Heliocene - Issue 90: Something Green|Summer Praetorius|September 16, 2020|Nautilus
The neuro-endocrine signals involved form the HPA axis, short for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal.
Puberty can repair the brain’s stress responses after hardship early in life|Esther Landhuis|August 28, 2020|Science News
It didn’t cover the entire major axis, because when it got too close to the endpoints, there was only a single point of tangency.
Are You Hip Enough To Be Square?|Zach Wissner-Gross|August 14, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Al-Battani Island’s major axis was 3 miles long, while its minor axis was 2 miles long.
Are You Hip Enough To Be Square?|Zach Wissner-Gross|August 14, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

Al-Battani Island’s major axis is 3 miles long, while its minor axis is 2 miles long.
Can You Reach The Beach?|Zach Wissner-Gross|August 7, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
This could shift global media decision-making from its familiar New York-Los Angeles axis to the Bay Area.
Battle of the Upstarts: Houston vs. San Francisco Bay|Joel Kotkin|October 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Six years later, after one more dance with FDR, Kansans returned to their normal political axis.
A Loss by Pat Roberts in Kansas? Actually, Not So Bizarre|Jeff Greenfield|October 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For Reagan the “evil empire” was the Soviet Union; for George W. Bush, there was an “axis of Evil.”
How Obama's Shallow Worldview Failed Us|Stuart Stevens|August 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The HPA axis is a circuit between your brain, your hormone glands, and the rest of your body.
We're Talking About Depression All Wrong|Jean Kim|August 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Seasons on Earth and Titan are both due to the tilt of their axis—the way the North Pole faces—relative to their orbit.
A Cloud Forms Over Saturn’s Mysterious Moon|Matthew R. Francis|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The long axis of the hip-roof crystal is often so shortened that it resembles the envelop crystal of calcium oxalate.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Cassini observed, by the position of certain spots, the revolution of the planet Venus on its axis.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
The same would be the case if the polar axis of one sphere stood precisely at right angles to that of the other.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
Thus the wide habitability of the earth is an effect arising from the inclination of its polar axis.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
On this account the suggested alterations of the axis should not be taken as other than imaginary changes.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler

British Dictionary definitions for axis (1 of 3)

axis¹

/ (ˈæksɪs) /

noun plural axes (ˈæksiːz)

a real or imaginary line about which a body, such as an aircraft, can rotate or about which an object, form, composition, or geometrical construction is symmetrical

one of two or three reference lines used in coordinate geometry to locate a point in a plane or in space

anatomy the second cervical vertebraCompare atlas (def. 3)

botany the main central part of a plant, typically consisting of the stem and root, from which secondary branches and other parts develop

an alliance between a number of states to coordinate their foreign policy

Also called: principal axis optics the line of symmetry of an optical system, such as the line passing through the centre of a lens

geology an imaginary line along the crest of an anticline or the trough of a syncline

crystallog one of three lines passing through the centre of a crystal and used to characterize its symmetry

Word Origin for axis

C14: from Latin: axletree, earth's axis; related to Greek axōn axis

British Dictionary definitions for axis (2 of 3)

axis²

/ (ˈæksɪs) /

noun plural axises

any of several S Asian deer of the genus Axis, esp A. axis. They typically have a reddish-brown white-spotted coat and slender antlers

Word Origin for axis

C18: from Latin: Indian wild animal, of uncertain identity

British Dictionary definitions for axis (3 of 3)

Axis

/ (ˈæksɪs) /

noun

the Axis the alliance of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Japan, established in 1936 and lasting until their defeat in World War II
(as modifier)the Axis powers

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for axis

axis

[ ăk′sĭs ]

Plural axes (ăk′sēz′)

An imaginary line around which an object rotates. In a rotating sphere, such as the Earth and other planets, the two ends of the axis are called poles. The 23.45° tilt of the Earth's axis with respect to the plane of its orbit around the Sun causes the Northern and Southern Hemispheres to point toward and away from the Sun at different times of the year, creating seasonal patterns of weather and climate. Other planets in the solar system have widely varying tilts to their axes, ranging from near 0° for Mercury to 177° for Venus.

Mathematics

A line, ray, or line segment with respect to which a figure or object is symmetrical.
A reference line from which distances or angles are measured in a coordinate system, such as the x-axis and y-axis in the Cartesian coordinate system.

Anatomy The second cervical vertebra, which serves as a pivot for the head.

Botany The main stem or central part of a plant or plant part, about which other plant parts, such as branches or leaflets, are arranged.

Other words from axis

axial adjective

Cultural definitions for axis (1 of 2)

axis

An imaginary straight line passing through the North Pole, the center of the Earth, and the South Pole. The Earth rotates around this axis.

Cultural definitions for axis (2 of 2)

axis

In geometry, a straight line about which an object may rotate or that divides an object into symmetrical halves.

notes for axis

The axis of the Earth is an imaginary line drawn through the North Pole and the South Pole.

axis

Origin of axis

OTHER WORDS FROM axis

Words nearby axis

Other definitions for axis (2 of 2)

Origin of axis

Words related to axis

How to use axis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for axis (1 of 3)

Word Origin for axis

British Dictionary definitions for axis (2 of 3)

Word Origin for axis

British Dictionary definitions for axis (3 of 3)

Scientific definitions for axis

Other words from axis

Cultural definitions for axis (1 of 2)

Cultural definitions for axis (2 of 2)

notes for axis