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rotation axis

American

noun

Crystallography.

an imaginary line through a crystal about which the crystal may be rotated a specified number of degrees and be brought back to its original position.

Etymology

Origin of rotation axis

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

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rotation axis

Their analysis showed that the star's rotation axis and the planet's orbital axis differ by roughly 62°, meaning TOI-3884 hosts a significantly tilted planetary orbit.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2025

"Most are not aware that the rotation axis wobbles and has drifted from North Geographic pole in the last 123 years by 10-15 meters," Wilson told Salon.

From Salon ● Jun. 21, 2023

By including these changes in their model, the authors calculated that they should have a substantial impact on the Earth’s rotation axis.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 21, 2023

Saturn’s field, on the other hand, is perfectly aligned with its rotation axis.

From Textbooks ● Oct. 13, 2016

Over time, our orbit twists and flexes under the perturbation of the other planets, and the Earth’s rotation axis nods back and forth.

From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023