axle

noun — 4 senses

axle

noun

/ˈæksəl/

Etymology

From Middle English axel, axle, eaxle, from Old English eaxl (“shoulder, armpit”), from Proto-West Germanic *ahslu (“shoulder”), from Proto-Germanic *ahslō (“shoulder”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱs-l-eh₂, from *h₂eḱs- (“axis, axle”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian acsle (“shoulder”), Dutch oksel (“armpit”), German Achsel (“armpit”), Swedish axel (“shoulder”), Latin axilla (“armpit”), Latin axis (“axle”) (whence English axis, atelier, and via Latin āla English ala, aisle), Ancient Greek ἄξων (áxōn) (whence English axo-, axon), Greek άξονας (áxonas, “axle”), Sanskrit अक्ष (ákṣa, “axle”), Sanskrit कक्ष (kakṣá, “room, armpit”), Russian ось (osʹ, “axle”).

1

Obsolete Shoulder.

axle

noun

Etymology From Middle English axil, in turn a combination of Old English eax and Old Norse ǫxull.

1

The pin or spindle on which a wheel revolves, or which revolves with a wheel.

  • rear axle
  • front axle
2 more examples
  • axle grease
  • The mechanic replaced the broken axle on the truck.
2

A transverse bar or shaft connecting the opposite wheels of a car or carriage; an axletree.

3

Astronomy, Geometry, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Sciences Archaic An axis.

  • the Sun’s axle
Derived terms
34 termsaxlebox, axle box, axle-box, axle counter, axled, axle-driven, axle guard, axle hitch, axle-hung, axleless, axle load, axleload, axle loading, axlerod, axless, axle stand, axle tooth, axle weight, axleweight, blind axle, centre-axle trailer, crank axle, cross axle, dead axle, driving axle, interaxle, kingpin to rear axle, leading axle, Muley axle, stub axle, trailing axle, transaxle, triaxle, wheel and axle
Related terms
Axle in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.