axis

axis — 名詞

1. a straight line, real or imagined, that passes through the middle of a spinning

1.名詞B2
釋義

轉軸；自轉軸

物體旋轉時所環繞的中心線

a straight line, real or imagined, that passes through the middle of a spinning object — for example, the line running pole to pole inside the Earth that the planet turns around once a day.

例句

The Earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours, giving us day and night.

地球每24小時繞著自轉軸轉一圈，於是有了白天和黑夜。

spin on its axis (rotation collocation)

Mr. Lin showed the children how a spinning top wobbles around its axis.

林老師示範陀螺轉動時是怎麼繞著它的軸搖晃的。

around its axis (rotation collocation)

同義詞
  • pivot

    more general — any point or line of turning, not always going through the centre

  • spindle

    a physical rod something turns on, not an imaginary line

文法句型

the axis of [object]

rotate on/around an axis

用法筆記

Often paired with motion verbs (spin, rotate, turn, tilt) and the prepositions on, around, or about. The line itself does not move; the object moves around it.

常見錯誤

❌The Earth rotates on its axes daily.
✅The Earth rotates on its axis daily.
💡singular 'axis' for one rotating object; the plural 'axes' refers to two or more lines.

2. one of the two reference lines on a graph or chart that you read values against

2.名詞B2
釋義

座標軸

圖表上用來標示數值的橫線或縱線

one of the two reference lines on a graph or chart that you read values against — usually a horizontal one for one variable and a vertical one for the other.

例句

Zane plotted time along the horizontal axis and temperature along the vertical axis.

Zane 把時間畫在橫軸上，溫度畫在縱軸上。

horizontal axis / vertical axis (typical pairing)

The teacher labelled the y-axis 'sales' and the x-axis 'months'.

老師把 y 軸標成「銷售額」，x 軸標成「月份」。

label the [x/y]-axis

同義詞

文法句型

the x-axis / y-axis

plotted on the [horizontal/vertical] axis

用法筆記

The plural is 'axes' (pronounced /ˈæk.siːz/). Most graphs have two axes; 3-D plots add a third. Often modified by horizontal, vertical, x-, y-, z-.

常見錯誤

❌Mark the value on the axises.
✅Mark the value on the axes.
💡the plural of 'axis' is 'axes', not 'axises'.

3. a line that cuts a shape so that the two sides match each other exactly — fold t

3.名詞C1
釋義

對稱軸

把圖形分成左右相同兩半的直線

a line that cuts a shape so that the two sides match each other exactly — fold the shape along this line and the halves lie on top of one another.

例句

A perfect butterfly has an axis of symmetry running down the middle of its body.

一隻完美的蝴蝶，身體正中間就有一條對稱軸。

axis of symmetry (fixed phrase)

Draw a vertical line through the heart shape; that line is its axis.

在愛心圖案上畫一條垂直的直線，那條線就是它的對稱軸。

同義詞

文法句型

axis of symmetry

an axis through [shape]

用法筆記

Almost always appears in the fixed phrase 'axis of symmetry' in school maths. Distinguish from sense 1: this line does not turn anything; it merely divides a shape into mirror halves.

常見錯誤

❌A circle has only one axis of symmetry.
✅A circle has infinitely many axes of symmetry.
💡every diameter of a circle is an axis of symmetry.

4. the second bone down from the skull in your neck, which lets your head turn left

4.名詞C2
釋義

樞椎

頸椎第二節，使頭部能左右轉動

the second bone down from the skull in your neck, which lets your head turn left and right because the bone above it pivots on a small peg sticking up from this one.

例句

Dr. Leila pointed to a model of the spine and explained how the skull rotates on the axis.

田中醫師指著脊椎模型，說明頭骨是怎麼在樞椎上轉動的。

rotates on the axis (anatomical action)

A heavy fall on the head can fracture the axis and damage the spinal cord.

頭部受到重擊，可能讓樞椎骨折，傷及脊髓。

同義詞

文法句型

the axis (of the neck)

用法筆記

Specialist anatomy term; in everyday speech most people just say 'the second neck bone'. Always paired conceptually with 'the atlas', the bone immediately above it that supports the skull.

5. a close working partnership between two or more governments, usually pulling oth

5.名詞C1
釋義

結盟；軸心國

緊密政治結盟；二戰德義日陣營

a close working partnership between two or more governments, usually pulling other nations along with them; written with a capital A, the word names the World War II grouping of Germany with Italy and Japan, who battled the Allies between 1939 and 1945.

例句

Reporters described the Paris–Berlin axis as the engine of the European project.

記者把巴黎—柏林這條政治結盟形容為歐洲整合計畫的引擎。

[city]–[city] axis (naming pattern)

The two presidents announced a new axis aimed at reducing trade tariffs across the region.

兩位總統宣布結盟，目標是降低區域內的貿易關稅。

同義詞
  • alliance

    neutral, broader; covers formal treaties as well as loose partnerships

  • bloc

    emphasises a group acting as one unit, often economically

  • pact

    the written agreement itself rather than the relationship

文法句型

an axis between [country] and [country]

a [name] axis

the Axis

用法筆記

Lower-case 'axis' is a general label for any tight political pairing (often two capital cities joined with an en-dash, e.g. 'London–Washington axis'). Capitalised 'the Axis' is a fixed historical name and is not used for modern alliances. The word often carries a faintly negative or threatening tone, which 'alliance' does not.

常見錯誤

❌NATO is an axis of Western countries.
✅NATO is an alliance of Western countries.
💡'axis' suggests a tighter, often more sinister pairing of usually two leaders, not a broad treaty body.