axis.

1. A real or imagined line around which something turns or along which its parts are arranged.

2. A reference line used to locate or measure positions in a graph or coordinate system.

3. An alliance or close alignment between groups or powers sharing an aim.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• axis of rotation
• central axis

On the page

The rooms were arranged along a central axis leading toward the garden.

Usage notes

Primary category: architecture / spatial description. Forms: Singular axis; plural axes. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Commonness: moderately common.