Axis

From Latin axis ("axis", "axle").

Full definition of axis

(plural axes)

(geometry) An imaginary line around which an object spins (an axis of rotation) or is symmetrically arranged (an axis of symmetry).

2012-03, Henry Petroski, Opening Doors, A doorknob of whatever roundish shape is effectively a continuum of levers, with the axis of the latching mechanism—known as the spindle—being the fulcrum about which the turning takes place.

The Earth rotates once a day on its axis.
(mathematics) A fixed one-dimensional figure, such as a line or arc, with an origin and orientation and such that its points are in one-to-one correspondence with a set of numbers; an axis forms part of the basis of a space or is used to position and locate data in a graph (a coordinate axis).
(anatomy) The second cervical vertebra of the spine.
(psychiatry) A form of classification and descriptions of mental disorders or disabilities used in manuals such as the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

From Latin, name of an Indian animal mentioned by the Roman senator Pliny the Elder.

(plural axises)