AXIS (axes)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Axis mean? 

• AXIS (noun)
  The noun AXIS has 6 senses:

1. a straight line through a body or figure that satisfies certain conditions

2. the main stem or central part about which plant organs or plant parts such as branches are arranged

3. in World War II the alliance of Germany and Italy in 1936 which later included Japan and other nations

4. a group of countries in special alliance

5. the 2nd cervical vertebra; serves as a pivot for turning the head

6. the center around which something rotates

  Familiarity information: AXIS used as a noun is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• AXIS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A straight line through a body or figure that satisfies certain conditions

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("axis" is a kind of...):

line (a spatial location defined by a real or imaginary unidimensional extent)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "axis"):

coordinate 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)

optic axis; principal axis (a line that passes through the center of curvature of a lens so that light is neither reflected nor refracted)

optic axis (in a doubly refracting crystal, the line in the direction of which no double refraction occurs)

Derivation:

axial (situated on or along or in the direction of an axis)

axial (relating to or attached to the axis)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The main stem or central part about which plant organs or plant parts such as branches are arranged

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("axis" is a kind of...):

stalk; stem (a slender or elongated structure that supports a plant or fungus or a plant part or plant organ)

Meronyms (parts of "axis"):

stele (the usually cylindrical central vascular portion of the axis of a vascular plant)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "axis"):

rachis (axis of a compound leaf or compound inflorescence)

spadix (the fleshy axis of a spike often surrounded by a spathe)

Sense 3

Meaning:

In World War II the alliance of Germany and Italy in 1936 which later included Japan and other nations

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Context example:

the Axis opposed the Allies in World War II

Hypernyms ("Axis" is a kind of...):

alignment; alinement; alliance; coalition (an organization of people (or countries) involved in a pact or treaty)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A group of countries in special alliance

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Synonyms:

axis; bloc

Hypernyms ("axis" is a kind of...):

alignment; alinement; alliance; coalition (an organization of people (or countries) involved in a pact or treaty)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "axis"):

scheduled territories; sterling area; sterling bloc (the group of countries whose currencies are tied to the British pound sterling)

Sense 5

Meaning:

The 2nd cervical vertebra; serves as a pivot for turning the head

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Synonyms:

axis; axis vertebra

Hypernyms ("axis" is a kind of...):

cervical vertebra; neck bone (one of 7 vertebrae in the human spine located in the neck region)

Meronyms (parts of "axis"):

odontoid process (a toothlike process at the back of 2nd vertebra of the neck)

Sense 6

Meaning:

The center around which something rotates

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

axis; axis of rotation

Hypernyms ("axis" is a kind of...):

mechanism (device consisting of a piece of machinery; has moving parts that perform some function)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "axis"):

pin; pivot (axis consisting of a short shaft that supports something that turns)

rotor head; rotor shaft (the axis around which the major rotor of a helicopter turns)

Derivation:

axial (of or relating to or resembling an axis of rotation)

 Context examples 

A translational form of tooth movement directed apically and parallel to the long axis.

(Dental Intrusion, NCI Thesaurus)

The time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis; ordinarily divided into twenty-four hours, equal to 86 400 seconds.

(Day, NCI Thesaurus)

A surface formed by circles of a given radius that are contained in a plane perpendicular to a given axis, whose centers align on the axis.

(Cylinder, NCI Thesaurus)

A well-known teratogen and carcinogen, diethylstilbestrol inhibits the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, thereby blocking the testicular synthesis of testosterone, lowering plasma testosterone, and inducing a chemical castration.

(Diethylstilbestrol, NCI Thesaurus)

Mean solar day occurring as Earth rotates from east to west on its axis.

(Diurnal cycle, NOAA Paleoclimate Glossary)

Vertical strabismus in which there is permanent downward deviation of the visual axis of one eye.

(Downward Ocular Deviation, NCI Thesaurus)

A developmental morphogenetic process that establishes the basic configuration of cellular organization necessary for further and accurate development of the spatial arrangement of embryonic tissue along the dorsal-ventral axis.

(Dorsal-Ventral Pattern Formation, NCI Thesaurus)

DNA Intercalation involves insertion by covalent linkage of a molecule into the double-stranded deoxyribonucleotide polymer between the internal purine and pyrimidine base pairs stacked one on another perpendicular to the double helix axis.

(DNA Intercalation, NCI Thesaurus)

An object that is comprised of six regular, solid, congruent square faces and has three equal axes at right angles to each other.

(Cube, NCI Thesaurus)

A section created by a plane cutting a solid perpendicular to its longest axis.

(Cross-section, NCI Thesaurus)