axis

n., pl., ax·es (ăk'sēz').

1. A straight line about which a body or geometric object rotates or may be conceived to rotate.
2. Mathematics.
   1. An unlimited line, half-line, or line segment serving to orient a space or a geometric object, especially a line about which the object is symmetric.
   2. A reference line from which distances or angles are measured in a coordinate system.
3. A center line to which parts of a structure or body may be referred.
4. An imaginary line to which elements of a work of art, such as a picture, are referred for measurement or symmetry.
5. Anatomy.
   1. The second cervical vertebra on which the head turns.
   2. Any of various central structures, such as the spinal column, or standard abstract lines used as a positional referent.
6. Botany. The main stem or central part about which organs or plant parts such as branches are arranged.
7. One of three mutually perpendicular lines that define the orientation of an aircraft, with one being along its direction of travel and the other two being perpendicular to the direction of travel.
8. A line through the optical center of a lens that is perpendicular to both its surfaces.
9. One of three or four imaginary lines used to define the faces of a crystal and the position of its atoms.
10. 1. An alliance of powers, such as nations, to promote mutual interests and policies.
    2. Axis The alliance of Germany and Italy in 1936, later including Japan and other nations, that opposed the Allies in World War II.

[Middle English, from Latin.]

(ak′sis)
n

1. a straight line around which a body may rotate. n 2. the second cervical vertebra.

A straight line indicating center of symmetry of a solid or plane figure.

---

1. The second cervical vertebra. It has a vertical superior process called the odontoid process, around which the atlas rotates.

2. See axis of rotation.

Axis

An imaginary straight line passing through the North Pole, the center of the Earth, and the South Pole. The Earth rotates around this axis.

In geometry, a straight line about which an object may rotate or that divides an object into symmetrical halves.

The axis of the Earth is an imaginary line drawn through the North Pole and the South Pole.

Pl. axes [L., Gr.]
1. a line through a center of a body, or about which a structure revolves.
2. the second cervical vertebra.

• celiac a. — celiac trunk.
• a. cylinder — axon.
• dorsoventral a. — one passing from the back to the belly surface of the body.
• electrical a. of heart — the resultant of the electromotive forces within the heart at any instant. See also mean electrical axis.
• external bulbar a. — the optical axis that connects the anterior and posterior poles of the eyeball. Called also optic axis.
• frontal a. — an imaginary line running from right to left through the center of the eyeball.
• a. of heart. — a line passing through the center of the base of the heart and the apex.
• optic a. — see external bulbar axis (above).
• orbital a. — a line passing through the apex of the bony orbit and the center of the opening of the orbit.
• sagittal a. — an imaginary line extending through the anterior and posterior poles of the eye.
• visual a. — an imaginary line passing from the midpoint of the visual field to the fovea centralis.

1. The central stalk of a compound leaf or flower cluster; the main stem of a plant. For example, the trunk is the axis of a pine tree.
2. An imaginary straight line that subdivides a garden, often marked by a walkway or path.

IN BRIEF: The straight line (real or imagined) on which something rotates.

I cannot believe that the inscrutable universe turns on an axis of suffering; surely the strange beauty of the world must somewhere rest on pure joy! — Louise Bogan

Tutor's tip: "Ask" (request) permission before using an "ax"/"axe" (tool with a heavy head fixed to a handle) to cut firewood. You can use "axes" (tool for heavy chopping) to cut down trees. The earth spins on its "axis" (mathematical straight line).

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - akse

idioms:

• X axis    X-akse
• Y axis    Y-akse

Nederlands (Dutch)
as, middellijn, spil, tweede halswervel, witgestippeld hert

Français (French)
n. - axe

idioms:

• X axis    axe des x, axe des abscisses
• Y axis    axe des y, axe des ordonnées

Deutsch (German)
n. - Achse

idioms:

• X axis    Abszissenachse, X-Achse
• Y axis    Ordinatenachse, Y-Achse

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (μαθημ.) (νοητός) άξονας

idioms:

• X axis    άξονας του Χ, οριζόντιος άξονας
• Y axis    άξονας του Υ, κάθετος άξονας

Italiano (Italian)
asse

idioms:

• X axis    ascisse
• Y axis    ordinate

Português (Portuguese)
n. - eixo (m), áxis (m) (Zool.)

idioms:

• X axis    eixo X
• Y axis    eixo Y

Русский (Russian)
ось, гитлеровская Германия и ее союзники

idioms:

• X axis    икс-координата
• Y axis    игрек-координата

Español (Spanish)
n. - eje

idioms:

• X axis    eje de abscisas, eje de las equis
• Y axis    eje de ordenadas, eje de las y

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - axel (matem.,fys.)

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
轴, 主茎, 轴线, 光轴

idioms:

• X axis    坐标X轴
• Y axis    坐标y轴

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 軸, 主莖, 軸線, 光軸

idioms:

• X axis    座標X軸
• Y axis    座標y軸

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 축, 좌표축

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - アクシスジカ, 軸, 軸椎骨, 枢軸, 中心線
adj. - 日独伊枢軸の

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) محور, حلف, الفقره الثانيه في العنق‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮ציר, חוליית הצוואר השנייה, ציר הסימטריה - קו המחלק גוף סימטרי באופן סימטרי, ברית בין מדינות המכוונת להצטרפות מדינות נוספות‬

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axis	Axis 5570e
Axis 2100	Axis 5600