Axial

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈæk.sɪ.əl/

Definitions

1. Relating to or forming an axis; positioned around or along a central line
2. Pertaining to an axis or the central line that serves as a reference point
3. describing anything that is oriented or situated around or along this central element

Etymology: "Axial" is a plain formation: the English noun "axis" with the adjective-forming suffix "-al" attached. The suffix itself comes from Latin "-ālis", which English picked up through Old French and Middle English as a general tool for turning nouns into adjectives meaning "relating to" the noun, so "axial" means "relating to an axis." The noun behind it has a more concrete history. "Axis" was borrowed directly from Latin "axis", meaning an axle or pivot, and it traces back to the same Proto-Indo-European root that gave Latin its word for the pivot of a wheel. The original sense was a physical rod around which something turns, which is why the adjective still carries that picture of rotation and central line.

Synonyms: central, main, linear, longitudinal, vertical

Antonyms: lateral, horizontal, peripheral, side