axon

[ ak-son ]

noun
  1. Cell Biology. the appendage of the neuron that transmits impulses away from the cell body.

Origin of axon

1
1835–45; <New Latin <Greek áxōn an axle, axis; akin to Latin axis
  • Also ax·one [ak-sohn]. /ˈæk soʊn/.

Other words from axon

  • ax·on·al [ak-suh-nl, ‐son-l], /ˈæk sə nl, ‐ˌsɒn l/, adjective

Words Nearby axon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use axon in a sentence

  • One of these processes, the axon, is much longer than the others and ends in a muscle or organ of sensation.

    A Civic Biology | George William Hunter
  • The axon forms the pathway over which nervous impulses travel to and from the nerve centers.

    A Civic Biology | George William Hunter
  • We saw a moment ago that every axon is inclosed in a sheath.

    Physiology | Ernest G. Martin
  • The contact of the axon of one neuron with the dendrons of another is called a synapse.

    Psychotherapy | James J. Walsh
  • Its dendrites are short tree-like branches, while its axon is often several inches or even feet in length.

    Psychology | Robert S. Woodworth

British Dictionary definitions for axon

axon

axone (ˈæksəʊn)

/ (ˈæksɒn) /


noun
  1. the long threadlike extension of a nerve cell that conducts nerve impulses from the cell body: Compare dendrite

Origin of axon

1
C19: via New Latin from Greek: axis, axle, vertebra

Derived forms of axon

  • axonal, adjective

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 axon

axon

[ ăksŏn′ ]


  1. The long portion of a neuron that conducts impulses away from the body of the cell. Also called nerve fiber

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for axon

axon

The part of a nerve cell or neuron that transfers a nerve impulse from the nerve cell body to a synapse with another cell. (See action potential.) Depending on the location of the cell, the length of an axon can vary widely. In some cases (such as the axons that form the spinal cord), they may be several feet long.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.