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.
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.
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 vertebra Compare atlas
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
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.
Plural word for axis The plural form of axis is axes, pronounced [ ak-seez ]. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -sis are also formed in the same way, including hypothesis/hypotheses, analysis/analyses, and crisis/crises. A similar change is made when pluralizing appendix as appendices. Irregular plurals that are formed like axes derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin and Greek. Be careful: axes is also the plural of ax (and its alternate spelling axe), but in this case it’s pronounced [ ak-siz ]. Do you know: What is the plural of matrix?
The axis of the Earth is an imaginary line drawn through the North Pole and the South Pole.
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; from Latin axis “an axletree, axle, axis”; see origin at axi-
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin axis “a wild animal of India, perhaps the spotted deer” (Pliny)
An axis is a straight line, sometimes seen, sometimes not, that is important in mathematics, art, science and our survival. The most famous axis is the one the earth spins around, giving us the 24-hour day. In graphs, one side is usually the "X axis" and the other the "Y axis." Axis lines are also the lines that run through spheres, like our earth, around which those spheres rotate. In a totally different area, axis is used to describe countries in an alliance. During World War II, Germany, Japan, and Italy were known as the Axis Powers.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The emergent Turkey-led axis, which may be trying to draw in Saudi Arabia, is another.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
The reflecting pool sits along the axis between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and is among the most photographed sites in Washington, amplifying attention on any visible changes.
From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026
Our planet does not spin on a perfectly vertical axis — it is tilted.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
Schrödinger's definitions of hue, saturation, and lightness depend on where a color sits in relation to that axis, yet he never formally defined the axis itself.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 7, 2026
Even though the whole world had slid off its axis.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
As the leader of a minor Axis power, Boris had refused Hitler’s demands to deploy his army against the Soviet Union and deport Bulgarian Jews.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Army colonel Lee Shaw, her team’s father figure, in the monster realm they call Axis Mundi.
From Salon ● Mar. 20, 2026
It was a fearsome constellation of paramilitary factions and amenable governments that became known as the Axis of Resistance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2026
In the absence of powerful international allies, Tehran has spent decades building what it calls the "Axis of Resistance".
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2026
By the end of September 1940, Hungary and Romania had also joined the Axis nations—both countries shared borders with the Soviet state of Ukraine, and hoped Germany would help protect them from the Soviet Union.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
One location stood out due to the discovery of about 80 grooved stone axes, which were used to break down and process ore.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2026
In some cases, horizontal placement of circles on the date axes is approximated to accommodate others within the same range.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 13, 2026
Hand axes were held in the palm rather than attached to a wooden handle.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
The towering ambition of the men remaking the landscape with saws and axes, and the men, like Grainier, who were somehow pulled through that current.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 5, 2026
Each commentator has a curse of knowledge of his own, together with hobbyhorses, blind spots, and axes to grind, and the writer cannot pander to all of them.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
