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| ax·is [ áksiss ] (plural ax·es [ ák sz ]) |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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1. mathematics line around which object rotates: an imaginary straight line around which an object such as Earth rotates
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2. mathematics line around which shape is symmetrical: a straight line around which a geometric figure or three-dimensional object is symmetrical
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3. mathematics line for measuring coordinates: one of two or more lines on which coordinates are measured. Often on a graph two axes form its left and lower margins.
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4. alliance: an alliance or association between two or more people, organizations, or countries that is thought of as forming a center of power or influence
  the Paris-Bonn axis
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5. aviation line defining direction of aircraft: one of the three mutually perpendicular lines in an aircraft that define its orientation
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6. anatomy second vertebra in neck: the second vertebra in the neck, which acts as the pivot on which the head and first vertebra turn
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7. botany central part of plant: the main part of a plant, usually the stem and the root, from which all subsidiary parts develop
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8. optics line perpendicular to lens or mirror: the axis of symmetry of an optical system, especially a line perpendicular to the surface of a lens or mirror
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9. geology line at maximum curvature: an imaginary line along the crest of an anticline or the trough of a syncline at the point of maximum curvature
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10. crystallography line passing through crystal: an imaginary line, one of three or four that pass through the center of a crystal and are used to define its symmetry and the arrangement of its atoms
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| [14th century. < Latin, "axle, pivot"] |
