axle

American  

[ak-suhl] / ˈæk səl /

noun

1. Machinery. the pin, bar, shaft, or the like, on which or by means of which a wheel or pair of wheels rotates.

2. the spindle at either end of an axletree.

3. an axletree.

---

axle British  

/ ˈæksəl /

noun

1. a bar or shaft on which a wheel, pair of wheels, or other rotating member revolves

---

Other Word Forms

• axled adjective
• unaxled adjective

Etymology

Origin of axle

before 900; Middle English axel, Old English eaxl shoulder, crossbeam (in eaxle-gespann ); cognate with Old Frisian ax ( e ) le, Old Saxon ahsla, Old High German ahsala shoulder ( German Achsel ), Old Norse ǫxl, Latin āla (< derivative of *akslā )

Example Sentences

The Thailand axle shaft manufacturer has reduced costs via consolidation of production lines and system optimization, the analyst says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

An obvious solution to that was to recover from the front axle as well as the rear.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

Next up is the E-Ray, with the 6.2-liter V8 aided by an electric motor on the front axle, starting at $108,600.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025

Developments over the winter had made the new car faster, but introduced what the drivers called a "numbness" to the front axle, which was preventing Norris' ability to exploit the car.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

It smelled of grain and of harness dressing and of axle grease and of rubber boots and of new rope.

From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White