n.

A jump in figure skating that is initiated from the outer forward edge of one skate, followed by one and one-half midair turns and a return to the outer backward edge of the other skate.

[After Axel Paulsen (1856–1938), Norwegian figure skater.]

IN BRIEF: Noun- A jump from the outer forward edge of one skate l 1/2 turns taken in the air and a return to the outer backward edge of the other skate.

Tutor's tip: Vehicle wheels turn on "axles," figure skaters perform "axels" (spinning jumps), and the earth has an "axial" rotation (pertaining to a mathematical axis). A plant may have an "axil" (angle between a stem or leaf and supporting branch).