Axilla, aks′il-la, n. (anat.) the armpit.—ns. Ax′illa, Ax′il (bot.), the angle between the upper side of a branch and the trunk, or a petiole and the stem it springs from.—adjs. Ax′illar, Ax′illary. [L. axilla, the armpit.]
Axinomancy, aks′in-o-man-si, n. a mode of divination from the motions of an axe poised upon a stake, or of an agate placed upon a red-hot axe. [Gr. axinē, an axe, and manteia, divination.]
Axiom, aks′yum, n. a self-evident truth: a universally received principle in an art or science.—adjs. Axiomat′ic, Axiomat′ical.—adv. Axiomat′ically. [Gr. axiōma—axio-ein, to think worth, to take for granted—axios, worth.]
Axis, aks′is, n. the axle, or the line, real or imaginary, on which a body revolves: the straight line about which the parts of a body or system are systematically arranged, or which passes through the centre of all the corresponding parallel sections of it, as of a cylinder, globe, or spheroid. The axis of a curved line is formed by a right line dividing the curve into two symmetrical parts, as in the parabola, ellipse, and hyperbola:—pl. Axes (aks′ēz).—adj. Ax′ial.—adv. Ax′ially.—n. Ax′oid, a curve generated by the revolution of a point round an advancing axis.—Axis of a lens, the right line passing through a lens in such a manner as to be perpendicular to both sides of it; Axis of a telescope, a right line which passes through the centres of all the glasses in the tube; Axis of incidence, the line passing through the point of incidence perpendicularly to the refracting surface; Axis of refraction, the continuation of the same line through the refracting medium; Axis of the equator, the polar diameter of the earth, which is also the axis of rotation; Axis of the eye, the right line passing through the centres of the pupil and the crystalline lens. [L. axis; cf. Gr. axōn, Sans. aksha, A.S. eax.]
Axis, aks′is, n. the hog-deer of India. [L. axis, Pliny's name for an Indian quadruped.]
Axle, aks′l, Axle-tree, aks′l-trē, n. the pin or rod in the nave of a wheel on which the wheel turns: a pivot or support of any kind; the imaginary line of ancient cosmographers on which a planet revolved.—adj. Ax′led. [More prob. Norse öxull than a dim. from A.S. eax.]
Axolotl, aks′o-lotl, n. a reptile found in Mexico, allied to the tailed batrachia, but distinguished by retaining its gills through life. [Mexican.]
Ay, ā, interj. ah! oh! alas! esp. in ay me! [M. E. ey, ei, perh. from Fr. ahi, aï; cf. Sp. ay de mi!]
Ay, Aye, ī, adv. yea: yes: indeed.—n. Aye (ī), a vote in the affirmative: (pl.) those who vote in the affirmative. [Perh. a dial. form of aye, ever; perh. a variant of yea.]
Ayah, ā′ya, n. a native Indian waiting-maid. [Anglo-Ind.: Hind. āya, derived from the Port. aia, nurse.]