ax·is ( k s s)n. pl. ax·es ( ks z ) 1. A straight line about which a body or geometric object rotates or may be conceived to rotate. 2. Mathematics a. 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. b. 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 a. The second cervical vertebra on which the head turns. b. 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. a. An alliance of powers, such as nations, to promote mutual interests and policies. b. 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.] |
Axis [ˈæksɪs]
n
(Historical Terms)
a. the. the alliance of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Japan, established in 1936 and lasting until their defeat in World War II
b. (as modifier) the Axis powers
axis1
n pl axes [ˈæksiːz]
1. (Mathematics) 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
2. (Mathematics) one of two or three reference lines used in coordinate geometry to locate a point in a plane or in space
3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Anatomy) Anatomy the second cervical vertebra Compare atlas [3]
4. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Botany) Botany the main central part of a plant, typically consisting of the stem and root, from which secondary branches and other parts develop
5. (Government, Politics & Diplomacy) an alliance between a number of states to coordinate their foreign policy
6. (Physics / General Physics) Also called principal axis Optics the line of symmetry of an optical system, such as the line passing through the centre of a lens
7. (Earth Sciences / Geological Science) Geology an imaginary line along the crest of an anticline or the trough of a syncline
8. (Physics / General Physics) Crystallog one of three lines passing through the centre of a crystal and used to characterize its symmetry
[from Latin: axletree, earth's axis; related to Greek axōn axis]
axis2
n pl axises
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) 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
[from Latin: Indian wild animal, of uncertain identity]
| axis (kss) Plural axes ( ksz) 1. 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. 2. Mathematics a. A line, ray, or line segment with respect to which a figure or object is symmetrical. b. 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. 3. Anatomy The second cervical vertebra, which serves as a pivot for the head. 4. 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. axial adjective |
Axis the association of the countries that formed the German/Italian/Japanese alliance in World War II.
In land warfare, the general direction of movement, planned or achieved, usually between assigned boundaries.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  axis - a straight line through a body or figure that satisfies certain conditionscoordinate axis - one of the fixed reference lines of a coordinate system major axis - the longest axis of an ellipse or ellipsoid; passes through the two foci semimajor axis - one-half the major axis of an ellipse; the distance from the center of an ellipse to one end minor axis - the shorter or shortest axis of an ellipse or ellipsoid semiminor axis - one-half the minor axis of an ellipse principal axis, optic axis - a line that passes through the center of curvature of a lens so that light is neither reflected nor refracted; "in a normal eye the optic axis is the direction in which objects are seen most distinctly" optic axis - in a doubly refracting crystal, the line in the direction of which no double refraction occurs; "a crystal may have either one or two optic axes" line - a spatial location defined by a real or imaginary unidimensional extent |
| 2. | axis - the main stem or central part about which plant organs or plant parts such as branches are arranged stele - the usually cylindrical central vascular portion of the axis of a vascular plant rachis - axis of a compound leaf or compound inflorescence stalk, stem - a slender or elongated structure that supports a plant or fungus or a plant part or plant organ spadix - the fleshy axis of a spike often surrounded by a spathe | |
| 3. | Axis - in World War II the alliance of Germany and Italy in 1936 which later included Japan and other nations; "the Axis opposed the Allies in World War II" | |
| 4. | axis - a group of countries in special alliance alignment, alinement, coalition, alliance - an organization of people (or countries) involved in a pact or treaty scheduled territories, sterling area, sterling bloc - the group of countries whose currencies are tied to the British pound sterling | |
| 5. | axis - the 2nd cervical vertebra; serves as a pivot for turning the head cervical vertebra, neck bone - one of 7 vertebrae in the human spine located in the neck region odontoid process - a toothlike process at the back of 2nd vertebra of the neck | |
| 6. | axis - the center around which something rotates mechanism - device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some function rotor head, rotor shaft - the axis around which the major rotor of a helicopter turns |
axis
Translations
axis [ˈæksɪs] N (axes (pl)) [ˈæksiːz]
1. (Geom etc) → eje m
2. (Anat) → axis m inv
3. the Axis (Hist) → el Eje
Axis [ˈæksɪs] n the Axis → l'Asse
axis [ˈæksɪs] n (axes (pl)) [ˈæksiːz] (Geom) (of the earth) → asse m
axis [ˈæksɪs] n (axes (pl)) [ˈæksiːz] (Geom) (of the earth) → asse m
n axis [ˈӕksis]
1 the real or imaginary line on which a thing turns (as the axis of the earth, from North Pole to South Pole, around which the earth turns). as مِحْوَرالأرض (الدَّوَران) ос osa akse die Achse ο άξονας της Γης eje telg محور akseli axe צִיר धुरी os tengely poros möndull, öxull asse 軸 지축 ašis ass paksi as akse oś eixo axă ось os os osa axel แกน; เส้นผ่านศูนย์กลาง eksen, mihver 軸線 вісь محور trục 轴线
2 a fixed line used as a reference, as in a graph He plotted the temperatures on the horizontal axis. as مِحْوَر ос osa akse die Achse άξονας eje telg خط سنجش؛ مدار مرجع akseli axe צִיר धुरी os tengely poros ás asse 軸線 축선 ašis ass paksi as akse oś eixo axă ось os os osa axel แกน eksen 圖軸 вісь محوری سطر trục đồ thị 轴
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