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Synonyms

axle

American  
[ak-suhl] / ˈæk səl /

noun

  1. Machinery. the pin, bar, shaft, or the like, on which or by means of which a wheel or pair of wheels rotates.

  2. the spindle at either end of an axletree.

  3. an axletree.


axle British  
/ ˈæksəl /

noun

  1. a bar or shaft on which a wheel, pair of wheels, or other rotating member revolves

"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

Other Word Forms

  • axled adjective
  • unaxled adjective

Etymology

Origin of axle

before 900; Middle English axel, Old English eaxl shoulder, crossbeam (in eaxle-gespann ); cognate with Old Frisian ax ( e ) le, Old Saxon ahsla, Old High German ahsala shoulder ( German Achsel ), Old Norse ǫxl, Latin āla (< derivative of *akslā )

Explanation

An axle is a rod around which a wheel moves or rotates. The front wheels of your car sit on an axle, turning around it as the car moves. Any kind of vehicle with wheels uses some kind of axle for those wheels to rotate on. Trucks, buses, and cars have axles, and so do lawnmowers and wagons and even bicycles. The original, Middle English word for axle was axle-tree, which came from a combination of the Old Norse word öxull and the Old English eax, both of which mean "axis," or "line around which a body rotates."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing axle

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Thailand axle shaft manufacturer has reduced costs via consolidation of production lines and system optimization, the analyst says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

The four-time champion spun off and crashed at Turn One on his first lap of the session when his rear axle locked, catching him by surprise.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

If the AWD detects a sustained loss of traction at the rear it can route up to 369 lb-ft to the front axle.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 30, 2025

Ferrari started lifting the hood on its first fully electric vehicle at an event that highlighted a new electric axle, motor and battery pack set to be made in-house.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

I lay panting like a wounded duck, quietly cursing as I inched the jack forward under an axle that I had to find by feel, since it was under water.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck