axis

[ ak-sis ]

/ ˈæk sɪs /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR axis 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.

Nearby words

axiomatic, axion, axioplasm, axioversion, axipetal, axis, axis deer, axis deviation, axis of abscissas, axis of evil, axis of ordinates

Origin of axis

First recorded in 1540–50, axis is from the Latin word axis an axletree, axle, axis. See axi-

Related forms

ax·ised

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

Definition for axis (2 of 2)

axis

[ ak-sis ]

/ ˈæk sɪs /

noun, plural ax·is·es.

axis deer.

Origin of axis

First recorded in 1595–1605, axis is from the Latin word axis a wild animal of India (Pliny)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for axis

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
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
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 mullahs, the Israeli lobbyists, and preachers against the Axis of Evil will go wild.
Here’s What the U.S. Has to Do to Deal With the Mad Middle East|Leslie H. Gelb|July 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Harold's unquenchable desire, the axis mundi of his existence.
The Stacks: Harold Conrad Was Many Things, But He Was Never, Ever Dull|Mark Jacobson|March 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An axillary flower stands between the bract or leaf which subtends it and the axis or stem which bears this bract or leaf.
The Elements of Botany|Asa Gray
Angle of Incidence, Rigger's—The angle the chord of a surface makes with a line parallel to the axis of the propeller.
The Aeroplane Speaks|H. Barber
But although tridactyl, the axis of the limb passes through the fourth digit.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia|Frank Evers Beddard
The atlas is small and ring-like, and its centrum is fused with the axis forming the odontoid process.
The Vertebrate Skeleton|Sidney H. Reynolds
So far as we can at present see, the axis of the building corresponds to the axis of the dromos leading to Hatshepsts temple.
Five Years' Explorations at Thebes|George Edward Stanhope Molyneux Carnarvon

British Dictionary definitions for axis (1 of 3)

axis

/ (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)

axis

/ (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

Medicine definitions for axis

axis

[ ăk′sĭs ]

n. pl. ax•es (ăk′sēz′)

A real or imaginary straight line about which a body or geometric object rotates or may be conceived to rotate.

A center line to which parts of a structure or body may be referred.

The second cervical vertebra.epistropheus vertebra dentata

An artery that divides into many branches at its origin.

Science 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.

Related forms

axial adjective

Culture 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.

Culture 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.

Note

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