Axis
/ˈæksɪs/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAn imaginary line around which a body turns.
nounA central line used to describe position or direction.
Extra definitions
nounA reference line used in geometry or graphs.
nounA central line or structure.
nounAn imaginary line around which an object spins (an axis of rotation) or is symmetrically arranged (an axis of symmetry).
Sentence Examples
Earth rotates on its axis.
Plot the values on the x axis.
The wheel spins around its axis.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
None
Antonyms:
None
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin axis (“axle, axis”) in the 16th century. Via Latin cognate with ala, aisle, atelier. Via Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs- cognate with inherited English axle and borrowed axo-, axon.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
“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.”
— 2012 March 26, Henry Petroski, “Opening Doors”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, pages 112–3:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
Earth rotates on its ____.