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

Note the heavy bed on which the cheeks of the carriage rest and the built-in skid under the center of the rear axletree.

From Artillery Through the Ages A Short Illustrated History of Cannon, Emphasizing Types Used in America by Manucy, Albert

We had driven the wagons into a circle, with the tongue of each wagon chained to the hind axletree of the wagon ahead.

From Ox-Team Days on the Oregon Trail by Wilson, F. N. (Frederick N.)

Vases of similar shape, containing flowers, should be placed on each side of the seat; a long rope, covered with crimson cloth, should be attached to the front axletree.

From Home Pastimes; or Tableaux Vivants by Head, James H.

Yen translated rapidly, scurrying along behind his sentences like a carriage dog beneath an axletree.

From Mortmain by Train, Arthur Cheny

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