axletree

American  

[ak-suhl-tree] / ˈæk səlˌtri /

noun

1. a bar, fixed crosswise under an animal-drawn vehicle, with a rounded spindle at each end upon which a wheel rotates.

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axletree British  

/ ˈæksəlˌtriː /

noun

1. a bar fixed across the underpart of a wagon or carriage that has rounded ends on which the wheels revolve

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Etymology

Origin of axletree

Middle English word dating back to 1250–1300; axle, tree

Example Sentences

Under the rear axletree were suspended a tar-bucket and water-pail.

From Stage-coach and Tavern Days by Earle, Alice Morse

Barely a mile had they traversed, before an ominous crack proclaimed the splitting of an axletree.

From A Friend of Caesar A Tale of the Fall of the Roman Republic. Time, 50-47 B.C. by Davis, William Stearns

After an old cart or waggon has done its work and is broken up, the wooden axletree, which is very solid, is frequently used for the top bar of a stile.

From Wild Life in a Southern County by Jefferies, Richard

The mud was nearly up to the axletree of our cart.

From Round About the Carpathians by Crosse, Andrew F.

A log thick enough to make an axletree may thus be somewhat seasoned in a single night.

From The Art of Travel Shifts and Contrivances Available in Wild Countries by Galton, Francis, Sir