English[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈæksɪs/
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈæksəs/
- Rhymes: -æksɪs, -æksəs
- Hyphenation: ax‧is
Etymology 1[edit]
Borrowed from Latin axis (“axle, axis”) in the 16th century. Doublet of axle.
Noun[edit]
axis (plural axes or (rare) axiis)
- (geometry) An imaginary line around which an object spins (an axis of rotation) or is symmetrically arranged (an axis of symmetry).
-
2012 March 1, Henry Petroski, “Opening Doors”, in American Scientist[1], volume 100, number 2, page 112-3:
-
A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place.
-
-
The Earth rotates once a day on its axis
-
- (mathematics) A fixed one-dimensional figure, such as a line or arc, with an origin and orientation and such that its points are in one-to-one correspondence with a set of numbers; an axis forms part of the basis of a space or is used to position and locate data in a graph (a coordinate axis)
- (anatomy) The second cervical vertebra of the spine
- Synonym: epistropheus
- (anatomy) An imaginary, visualized plane separating two morphologically similar parts of an organism
- (psychiatry) A form of classification and descriptions of mental disorders or disabilities used in manuals such as the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
- (botany) The main stem or central part about which organs or plant parts such as branches are arranged
- (military) An alliance or coalition.
- Synonyms: pact, compact, league
- 1936, November 1st, Benito Mussolini, Milan Speech:
- This Berlin-Rome vertical line is not an obstacle but rather an axis around which can revolve all those European states with a will to collaboration and peace.
Coordinate terms[edit]
- (cervical vertebra): atlas
Derived terms[edit]
- axi-
- axis cylinder
- axis of evil
- axis of rotation
- axis of symmetry
- cerebrospinal axis
- co-ordinate axis
- conjugate axis
- coordinate axis
- figure axis
- imaginary axis
- major axis
- minor axis
- neural axis
- optic axis
- optical axis
- parallel axis theorem
- perpendicular axis theorem
- radical axis
- real axis
- rotational axis
- semi-major axis
- semi-minor axis
- semimajor axis
- visual axis
- x-axis
- y-axis
- z-axis
[edit]
- axial, axially
- axile
Translations[edit]
geometry: imaginary line
- Albanian: aks m
- Arabic: مِحْوَر m (miḥwar)
- Armenian: առանցք (hy) (aṙancʿkʿ)
- Asturian: exa (ast) f
- Azerbaijani: mehvər, ox (az)
- Bashkir: күсәр (küsär)
- Belarusian: вось f (vosʹ)
- Bengali: অক্ষ (bn) (okkho)
- Bulgarian: ос (bg) (os)
- Burmese: ဝင်ရိုး (my) (wang-rui:)
- Catalan: eix (ca) m
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 軸／轴 (zh) (zhóu)
- Czech: osa (cs) f
- Danish: akse (da) c
- Dutch: as (nl)
- Esperanto: akso
- Estonian: telg
- Faroese: ásur m
- Finnish: akseli (fi)
- French: axe (fr) m
- Galician: eixe (gl) m
- Georgian: ღერძი (ɣerʒi)
- German: Achse (de) f
- Gothic: 𐌰𐌷𐍃𐌰 f (ahsa)
- Greek: άξονας (el) m (áxonas)
- Ancient: ἄξων m (áxōn)
- Hebrew: ציר (he) m (tzyr)
- Hindi: धुरी (hi) f (dhurī), अक्ष (hi) m (akṣ)
- Hungarian: tengely (hu)
- Icelandic: ás (is) m, möndull (is)
- Ido: axo (io)
- Inuktitut: ᓈᓴᐅᑎᖃᕐᕕᒃ (naasaotiqarfik)
- Italian: asse (it) m
- Japanese: 軸 (ja) (じく, jiku)
- Kazakh: білік (kk) (bılık), белағаш (belağaş), белдік (beldık), өс (ös)
- Khmer: អ័ក្ស (km) (ak)
- Korean: 축 (ko) (chuk)
- Kyrgyz: ок (ky) (ok), ось (osʹ)
- Lao: ແກນ (lo) (kǣn)
- Latvian: ass (lv) f
- Lithuanian: ašis m
- Lombard: assa (lmo)
- Macedonian: о́ска f (óska)
- Malay: paksi (ms)
- Malayalam: അച്ചുതണ്ട് (ml) (accutaṇṭŭ)
- Maori: pou tāwhirowhiro, tuaka
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: akse (no) m
- Nynorsk: akse m
- Occitan: axe (oc) m
- Persian: محور (fa) (mehvar), آسه (fa) (âse)
- Plautdietsch: Auss f
- Polish: oś (pl) f
- Portuguese: eixo (pt) m
- Romanian: axă (ro) f
- Russian: ось (ru) f (osʹ)
- Sanskrit: अक्ष (sa) m (akṣa)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: оса f, о̑с f
- Roman: osa (sh) f, ȏs (sh) f
- Slovak: os (sk) f
- Slovene: os (sl) f
- Spanish: eje (es) m
- Swedish: axel (sv) c
- Tagalog: taluhog
- Tajik: тир (tg) (tir)
- Telugu: అక్షము (te) (akṣamu)
- Thai: แกน (th) (gɛɛn)
- Turkish: eksen (tr)
- Turkmen: ok
- Ukrainian: вісь f (visʹ)
- Uzbek: oʻq (uz)
- Vietnamese: trục (vi)
- West Frisian: as
- Yiddish: אַקס f (aks)
basis of space or part of graph
- Armenian: առանցք (hy) (aṙancʿkʿ)
- Bulgarian: ос (bg) (os)
- Czech: osa (cs) f
- Dutch: as (nl)
- Esperanto: akso
- Estonian: telg
- Faroese: ásur m
- Finnish: akseli (fi)
- French: axe (fr) m
- Georgian: ღერძი (ɣerʒi)
- German: Achse (de) f
- Greek: άξονας (el) m (áxonas)
- Hebrew: ציר (he) m (tzyr)
- Icelandic: ás (is) m
- Italian: asse (it) m
- Khmer: អ័ក្ស (km) (ak)
- Latvian: ass (lv) f
- Macedonian: о́ска f (óska)
- Malay: paksi (ms)
- Maori: tuaka, tuaka
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: akse (no) m
- Nynorsk: akse m
- Persian: آسه (fa) (âse)
- Polish: oś (pl) f
- Portuguese: eixo (pt) m
- Russian: ось (ru) f (osʹ)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: оса f, осо̀вина f
- Roman: osa (sh) f, osòvina (sh) f
- Slovak: os (sk) f
- Slovene: os (sl) f
- Sorbian:
- Lower Sorbian: wós f
- Upper Sorbian: wóska f
- Spanish: eje (es) m
- Swedish: axel (sv) c
- Telugu: అక్షము (te) (akṣamu)
- Turkish: eksen (tr)
- West Frisian: as
second cervical vertebra
- Catalan: axis (ca) m
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 樞椎／枢椎 (zh) (shūzhuī)
- Czech: čepovec m, axis (cs) m
- Dutch: draaier (nl) m
- Faroese: navarsgeisli m
- Finnish: kiertonikama (fi), aksis (fi)
- Greek: άξονας (el) m (áxonas), επιστροφεύς m (epistroféfs)
- Ido: axoido (io)
- Italian: epistrofeo (it) m
- Kazakh: білікомыртқа (bılıkomyrtqa)
- Khmer: អ័ក្ស (km) (ak)
- Malay: tulang paksi, epistrofeus
- Persian: آسه (fa) (âse)
- Polish: obrotnik (pl) m
- Portuguese: áxis m
- Spanish: axis m
psychiatry: form of classification and descriptions of mental disorders
- Finnish: akseli (fi)
botany: main stem or central part
Etymology 2[edit]
From Latin, name of an Indian animal mentioned by the Roman senator Pliny.
Noun[edit]
axis (plural axises)
- A deer native to Asia, of species Axis axis.
- Synonyms: chital, cheetal, chital deer, spotted deer, axis deer
Translations[edit]
See also[edit]
Latin[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Proto-Italic *aksis, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs-i-s, from *h₂eḱs- (“axis, axle”); see also Lithuanian ašis (“axle”), Russian ось (osʹ), Sanskrit अक्ष (ákṣa, “axis, axle, balance beam”), Ancient Greek ἄξων (áxōn, “axle”), Old High German ahsa (“axle”), Icelandic eax, öxull, öksull, Old English eaxl (whence English axle). Compare also Etruscan 𐌀𐌂𐌔𐌉 (Acsi, “the Axia gens”).
Pronunciation[edit]
- (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈak.sis/, [ˈäks̠ɪs̠]
- (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈak.sis/, [ˈäksis]
Noun[edit]
axis m (genitive axis); third declension
- An axletree of wagon, car, chariot.
- The North Pole.
- The heavens or a region or clime of these.
- A board, plank.
Declension[edit]
Third-declension noun (i-stem).
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | axis | axēs |
| Genitive | axis | axium |
| Dative | axī | axibus |
| Accusative | axem | axēs axīs |
| Ablative | axe | axibus |
| Vocative | axis | axēs |
Derived terms[edit]
- āla
- assula
- axilla
Descendants[edit]
- Italo-Romance:
- Italian: asse
- Padanian:
- Friulian: as
- Lombard: ax
- Piedmontese: ass
- Venetian: ase
- Northern Gallo-Romance:
- Franco-Provençal: èssi, èshi, assi, ashi, aissi
- French: ais
- Southern Gallo-Romance:
- Aragonese: eixe, exe
- Catalan: eix
- Castellonenc: eis, aix
- Ribagorçan: aix
- Tortosí: aix
- Occitan: ais
- Gascon: èish
- Limousin: aisse
- Provençal: aisse
- Vivaro-Alpine: aisse
- Ibero-Romance:
- Asturian: exa, exe, ex
- Galician: eixe, eixo
- Portuguese: eixo
- Spanish: eje
- Borrowings:
- → Catalan: axis
- → English: axis
- → Franco-Provençal: axo
- → French: axe
- → Irish: ais
- → Occitan: axe
- → Portuguese: axe, áxis
- → Romanian: ax, axă
- → Spanish: axis
References[edit]
- “axis”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
- “axis”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
- axis in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
- axis in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
- Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book[2], London: Macmillan and Co.
- the pole: vertex caeli, axis caeli, cardo caeli
- “axis”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
- “axis”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin
- Langenscheidt Pocket Latin Dictionary
Spanish[edit]
Noun[edit]
axis m (plural axis)
- (anatomy) axis (vertebra)
Further reading[edit]
- “axis”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
What is Axis in simple words?
The definition of an axis is a real or imaginary line on which something rotates or a straight line around which things are evenly arranged. An example of axis is an imaginary line running through the earth on which the earth rotates. … A main line of motion development etc.
What does axis mean in science?
An axis is an invisible line around which an object rotates or spins. The points where an axis intersects with an object’s surface are the object’s North and South Poles.
What does axis mean in writing?
A.X.E.S. is an acronym for Assertion EXample Explanation and Significance. This word can help you remember the types of elements that generally belong in body paragraphs.
What is the meaning of axis of the earth?
an imaginary straight line around which an object spins. Sentences: Earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours. Earth’s axis goes from the North Pole through Earth’s center to the South Pole and is tilted.
How do you explain axis to a child?
An axis is an imaginary line an object turns around. This imaginary line runs directly through the object’s center from the north to the south poles. Although we can’t feel the Earth spinning it makes one complete turn each day around its own axis.
Is axis a real word?
Common misspelling of axes. Mistakenly used for the plural of axis (“line around which object rotates”).
How do you say axis?
What is an axis Class 6?
Axis: The imaginary line around which the earth rotates is called its axis. Orbit: The imaginary line on which the earth moves around the sun is called its orbit. Orbital Plane: The plane passing through the earth (along its orbit) is called its orbital plane.
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What does axis mean in history?
the Axis the alliance of Nazi Germany Fascist Italy and Japan established in 1936 and lasting until their defeat in World War II.
What is the English plural of axis?
noun. ax·is | ˈak-səs plural axes ˈak-ˌsēz
How do you use axis in a sentence?
Axis in a Sentence ?
- Tilting on its axis the Earth is constantly rotating.
- Of all the planets Mars has an axis line that is the closest to the rotating point of our.
- For many year’s scientists tried to come up with numbers on the exact tilt of the earth’s axis around which is revolves.
What do you mean by axis explain various types of axis?
An axis is a straight line around which an object rotates. Movement at the joint takes place in a plane about an axis. There are three axes of rotation. Sagittal axis – passes horizontally from posterior to anterior and is formed by the intersection of the sagittal and transverse planes.
What does orbit mean in space?
An orbit is a regular repeating path that one object in space takes around another one. An object in an orbit is called a satellite. A satellite can be natural like Earth or the moon. Many planets have moons that orbit them.
Is Earth tilted left or right?
Each altered the tilt of the Earth by knocking it one direction or the other. … That debris settled into orbit around the Earth and eventually coalesced into the moon. This impact was the last to alter the tilt of the Earth. Today instead of rotating upright the Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5 degrees.
Are all planets tilted on an axis?
All the planets in our solar system have a tilted axis which means all our planets have seasons – however the seasons vary greatly in length diversity and severity. “The greater the tilt in the axis the more extreme the seasons are.”
What is the XY axis?
An x-y axis also known as a cartesian coordinate system or a coordinate plane is a two-dimensional plane of points defined uniquely by a pair of coordinates. … The horizontal line then is known as the x axis and measures the distance left or right from the vertical line.
See also explain how the official language of south africa changed between 1600 and 2009.
What does hemisphere mean?
1 : one of the halves of the earth as divided by the equator or by a meridian. 2 : a half of a sphere. 3 : either the left or the right half of the cerebrum.
Is axes plural for axis?
plural of axis1.
Who were in the Axis?
The three principal partners in the Axis alliance were Germany Italy and Japan. These three countries recognized German domination over most of continental Europe Italian domination over the Mediterranean Sea and Japanese domination over East Asia and the Pacific.
What is the difference between axes and axis?
Axis is a singular term whereas axes is the plural of axis. … Axis is a singular term whereas axes is a plural of axis. It does not have any other meaning and whether it is to be used as an axis or axes it depends on the context. For example: One axis defines one rotation.
How do you say axes in math?
What is an axis Class 5?
An imaginary line about which a body rotates is called an axis. … ‘The earth rotates once on its axis each day or 360 degrees every 24 hours or 15 degrees every hour. ‘
What is an axis Class 6 short answer?
Answer: Axis: The axis of the Earth is an imaginary line joining the North pole with the South pole. It makes an angle of 6614° with its orbital plane.
What is an axis Class 1?
An axis is defined as a straight or imaginary line on which an object rotates or straight line on which things are arranged.
Definition of ‘the Axis’
a. the alliance of Nazi Germany Fascist Italy and Japan established in 1936 and lasting until their defeat in World War II.
What did the Axis call themselves?
The official name was ‘Achsenmächte’ in German ‘Sūjikukoku’ in Japanese and ‘Potenze dell’Asse’ in Italian. The three original countries took the name officially after the signing of the Tripartite Pact on 27 September 1940.
Why was the axis called the axis?
The Axis powers originally called the Rome–Berlin Axis was a military coalition that initiated World War II and fought against the Allies. … Benito Mussolini declared on 1 November 1936 that all other European countries would from then on rotate on the Rome–Berlin axis thus creating the term “Axis”.
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What is the Foreign noun of Axis?
The plural of axis is axes. The point where the axes meet is called the origin. The axes of a two-dimensional Cartesian system divide the plane into four infinite regions called quadrants.
Is axes Greek or Latin?
It’s all Greek to me. Greek and Latin words adopted into English.
…
LATIN.
| SINGULAR | PLURAL |
|---|---|
| genus | genera |
| # # # | faeces (feces) |
| axis | axes |
| navis | naves |
Is axes in the Scrabble dictionary?
Yes axes is in the scrabble dictionary.
How do you use the word axis?
(4) The main road is on a north-south axis. (5) The Earth spins on its axis. (6) The Earth revolves about the axis which joins the North and South Poles. (7) The earth’s axis is the line between the North and South Poles.
What is an axis used for?
An axis is the reference line that is used to measure coordinates on graphs and grids. There are typically two axis lines (axes) on a graph the y-axis and the x-axis.
How do you use tilt in a sentence?
Tilt sentence example
- It was Darkyn’s turn to tilt his head curiously. …
- He reached out to tilt her chin to the side to see her neck. …
- This system gives quite a wide range of friction control down to virtual zero drag and operates on both pan and tilt axis.
What is an example of an axis in the human body?
Sagittal (also known as the antero-posterior) axis – this line runs from front to back through the centre of the body. For example when a person performs a cartwheel they are rotating about the sagittal axis. Vertical axis – this line runs from top to bottom through the centre of the body.
Axis – Definition for Kids
What is the meaning of the word AXIS?
What does Axis mean?
Definition of the word “Axis”
Noun
the Earth’s axis of rotation
the spin of the Earth on its axis
Recent Examples on the Web
With planetary mixers, the bowl locks into place and the mixing attachment — such as paddle, whisk or hook — rotates on its axis while also rotating around the bowl (just like our solar system’s planets, hence the name).
—
Sarah Wharton And Betty Gold, Good Housekeeping, 24 Mar. 2023
The Rh-120 is highly accurate while shooting on the move due to a two-axis stabilization system that counteracts the tank’s movement against the position of the Rh-120 gun barrel.
—Louis Mazzante, Popular Mechanics, 23 Feb. 2023
Real-time head tracking is made possible by a high-precision, six-axis IMU sensor built into the buds to monitor head positioning.
—Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 4 Jan. 2023
Since then, Halter has gone on to produce some of the watch industry’s most far-out creations—the 2021 Deep Space Resonance triple-axis tourbillon chief among them.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2022
This is very cool, but obviously, controlling the Cubli in three axes requires three reaction wheels.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Dec. 2022
The drone’s camera rides on a two-axis gimbal, which keeps the camera level and steady.
—Dallas News, 1 Dec. 2022
The front-drive-only Honda uses an innovative dual-axis strut front suspension that does a terrific job of suppressing torque steer.
—Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 29 Nov. 2022
In a dual-axis offensive, Kyiv’s forces have suddenly conducted a near-blitzkrieg level operation in the oblast of Kharkiv, near Ukraine’s second largest city, that has resulted in retaking over 6,000 square km of territory seized by the Russians since the start of the war in February.
—Time, 14 Sep. 2022
Sign-Up/Onboard/Job Search Process Prospective employees can search for travel nursing jobs on the website prior to applying to the agency, though Axis’ search filters are lacking.
—Riley Blanton, Verywell Health, 23 Mar. 2023
He was held in a U.S. Army internment camp in Louisiana with other enemy aliens from the Axis powers of Japan, Germany and Italy during most of the war.
—Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2023
And and it was stood up to monitor Axis powers and their propaganda through shortwave radio.
—CBS News, 8 Mar. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘axis.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
See synonyms for: axis / axes on Thesaurus.com
This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.
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.
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.
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Origin of axis
1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; from Latin axis “an axletree, axle, axis”; see origin at axi-
OTHER WORDS FROM axis
ax·ised [ak-sist], /ˈæk sɪst/, adjectiveun·ax·ised, adjective
Words nearby axis
axiom, axiomatic, axiom of choice, axiom of countability, axion, axis, axis deer, axis of evil, axis of revolution, axis of symmetry, Axis powers
Other definitions for axis (2 of 2)
Origin of axis
2
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin axis “a wild animal of India, perhaps the spotted deer” (Pliny)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Words related to axis
arbor, axle, hinge, pivot, pole, shaft, spindle, stalk, stem, support, turning point
How to use axis in a sentence
-
Like Copernicus’ heliocentric model of the solar system, sometimes revolutions occur by a simple shift in the axis of rotation.
-
The neuro-endocrine signals involved form the HPA axis, short for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal.
-
It didn’t cover the entire major axis, because when it got too close to the endpoints, there was only a single point of tangency.
-
Al-Battani Island’s major axis was 3 miles long, while its minor axis was 2 miles long.
-
Al-Battani Island’s major axis is 3 miles long, while its minor axis is 2 miles long.
-
This could shift global media decision-making from its familiar New York-Los Angeles axis to the Bay Area.
-
Six years later, after one more dance with FDR, Kansans returned to their normal political axis.
-
For Reagan the “evil empire” was the Soviet Union; for George W. Bush, there was an “axis of Evil.”
-
The HPA axis is a circuit between your brain, your hormone glands, and the rest of your body.
-
Seasons on Earth and Titan are both due to the tilt of their axis—the way the North Pole faces—relative to their orbit.
-
The long axis of the hip-roof crystal is often so shortened that it resembles the envelop crystal of calcium oxalate.
-
Cassini observed, by the position of certain spots, the revolution of the planet Venus on its axis.
-
The same would be the case if the polar axis of one sphere stood precisely at right angles to that of the other.
-
Thus the wide habitability of the earth is an effect arising from the inclination of its polar axis.
-
On this account the suggested alterations of the axis should not be taken as other than imaginary changes.
British Dictionary definitions for axis (1 of 3)
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)
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)
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
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Scientific definitions for axis
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.
Other words from axis
axial adjective
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for axis (1 of 2)
Cultural definitions for axis (2 of 2)
In geometry, a straight line about which an object may rotate or that divides an object into symmetrical halves.
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.
Definitions For Axis
noun
- The center around which something rotates
- The 2nd cervical vertebra; serves as a pivot for turning the head
- A straight line through a body or figure that satisfies certain conditions
- A group of countries in special alliance
- In World War II the alliance of Germany and Italy in 1936 which later included Japan and other nations
- The main stem or central part about which plant organs or plant parts such as branches are arranged
- The imaginary straight line that something (such as the Earth) turns around
- A straight line that divides a shape evenly into two parts
English International (SOWPODS)
YES
Points in Different Games
Scrabble
Words with Friends
The word Axis is worth 11 points in Scrabble and 11 points in Words with Friends
Examples of Axis in a Sentence
- The Earth’s axis of rotation
- The spin of the Earth on its axis