axillary

[ ak-suh-ler-ee ]

adjective

1. Anatomy, Ornithology. pertaining to the axilla.
2. Botany. pertaining to or growing from the axil.

noun

, plural ax·il·lar·ies.

1. Ornithology. axillar.

axillary

/ ækˈsɪlərɪ /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or near the armpit
2. botany growing in or related to the axil

   an axillary bud

noun

1. Also calledaxillarækˈsɪləˈæksɪlə usually plural one of the feathers growing from the axilla of a bird's wing

Other Words From

• inter·axil·lary adjective
• post·axil·lary adjective
• super·axil·lary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of axillary¹

First recorded in 1605–15; axill(a) + -ary

Example Sentences

Mr Flack said that transection of the left axillary artery – the main artery to the arm – was also a contributory cause to her death.

From BBC

More than one-third of patients who underwent axillary dissection were found to have additional metastases than the maximum two in the sentinel lymph nodes.

From Science Daily

At the same time, a previous publication from the trial showed that 13 per cent of those who underwent axillary dissection reported serious or very serious problems with their arm function, compared to 4 per cent among those who only had the sentinel lymph nodes removed.

From Science Daily

"Our assessment is that it is safe for patients to forgo axillary dissection if there are a maximum of two macrometastases in the sentinel lymph nodes. In these cases, axillary dissection is replaced with radiation therapy to the armpit, which results in less arm-related complications. This has now been implemented in clinical practice in Sweden," says Jana de Boniface.

From Science Daily

Botanists have discovered that money is not only the root of all evil, but also its hypocotyl, petiole and axillary bud.

From Washington Post