Axes

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Axis \Ax"is\, n.; pl. {Axes}. [L. axis axis, axle. See {Axle}.]
     A straight line, real or imaginary, passing through a body,
     on which it revolves, or may be supposed to revolve; a line
     passing through a body or system around which the parts are
     symmetrically arranged.
     [1913 Webster]


  
     2. (Math.) A straight line with respect to which the
        different parts of a magnitude are symmetrically arranged;
        as, the axis of a cylinder, i. e., the axis of a cone,
        that is, the straight line joining the vertex and the
        center of the base; the axis of a circle, any straight
        line passing through the center.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Bot.) The stem; the central part, or longitudinal
        support, on which organs or parts are arranged; the
        central line of any body. --Gray.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Anat.)
        (a) The second vertebra of the neck, or {vertebra
            dentata}.
        (b) Also used of the body only of the vertebra, which is
            prolonged anteriorly within the foramen of the first
            vertebra or atlas, so as to form the odontoid process
            or peg which serves as a pivot for the atlas and head
            to turn upon.
            [1913 Webster]
  
     5. (Crystallog.) One of several imaginary lines, assumed in
        describing the position of the planes by which a crystal
        is bounded.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     6. (Fine Arts) The primary or secondary central line of any
        design.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Anticlinal axis} (Geol.), a line or ridge from which the
        strata slope downward on the two opposite sides.
  
     {Synclinal axis}, a line from which the strata slope upward
        in opposite directions, so as to form a valley.
  
     {Axis cylinder} (Anat.), the neuraxis or essential, central
        substance of a nerve fiber; -- called also {axis band},
        {axial fiber}, and {cylinder axis}.
  
     {Axis in peritrochio}, the wheel and axle, one of the
        mechanical powers.
  
     {Axis of a curve} (Geom.), a straight line which bisects a
        system of parallel chords of a curve; called a {principal
        axis}, when cutting them at right angles, in which case it
        divides the curve into two symmetrical portions, as in the
        parabola, which has one such axis, the ellipse, which has
        two, or the circle, which has an infinite number. The two
        axes of the ellipse are the {major axis} and the {minor
        axis}, and the two axes of the hyperbola are the
        {transverse axis} and the {conjugate axis}.
  
     {Axis of a lens}, the straight line passing through its
        center and perpendicular to its surfaces.
  
     {Axis of a microscope} or {Axis of a telescope}, the straight
        line with which coincide the axes of the several lenses
        which compose it.
  
     {Axes of co["o]rdinates in a plane}, two straight lines
        intersecting each other, to which points are referred for
        the purpose of determining their relative position: they
        are either rectangular or oblique.
  
     {Axes of co["o]rdinates in space}, the three straight lines
        in which the co["o]rdinate planes intersect each other.
  
     {Axis of a balance}, that line about which it turns.
  
     {Axis of oscillation}, of a pendulum, a right line passing
        through the center about which it vibrates, and
        perpendicular to the plane of vibration.
  
     {Axis of polarization}, the central line around which the
        prismatic rings or curves are arranged. --Brewster.
  
     {Axis of revolution} (Descriptive Geom.), a straight line
        about which some line or plane is revolved, so that the
        several points of the line or plane shall describe circles
        with their centers in the fixed line, and their planes
        perpendicular to it, the line describing a surface of
        revolution, and the plane a solid of revolution.
  
     {Axis of symmetry} (Geom.), any line in a plane figure which
        divides the figure into two such parts that one part, when
        folded over along the axis, shall coincide with the other
        part.
  
     {Axis of the} {equator, ecliptic, horizon} (or other circle
        considered with reference to the sphere on which it lies),
        the diameter of the sphere which is perpendicular to the
        plane of the circle. --Hutton.
  
     {Axis of the Ionic capital} (Arch.), a line passing
        perpendicularly through the middle of the eye of the
        volute.
  
     {Neutral axis} (Mech.), the line of demarcation between the
        horizontal elastic forces of tension and compression,
        exerted by the fibers in any cross section of a girder.
  
     {Optic axis of a crystal}, the direction in which a ray of
        transmitted light suffers no double refraction. All
        crystals, not of the isometric system, are either uniaxial
        or biaxial.
  
     {Optic axis}, {Visual axis} (Opt.), the straight line passing
        through the center of the pupil, and perpendicular to the
        surface of the eye.
  
     {Radical axis of two circles} (Geom.), the straight line
        perpendicular to the line joining their centers and such
        that the tangents from any point of it to the two circles
        shall be equal to each other.
  
     {Spiral axis} (Arch.), the axis of a twisted column drawn
        spirally in order to trace the circumvolutions without.
  
     {Axis of abscissas} and {Axis of ordinates}. See {Abscissa}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  axes
       See {ax}

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  ax
       n : an edge tool with a heavy bladed head mounted across a
           handle [syn: {axe}]
       v 1: chop or split with an ax; "axe wood" [syn: {axe}]
       2: terminate; "The NSF axed the research program and stopped
          funding it" [syn: {axe}]
       [also: {axes} (pl)]