axel

noun

ax·​el ˈak-səl  ˈäk- 

variants often Axel

: a jump in figure skating from the outer forward edge of one skate with 1½ turns taken in the air and a return to the outer backward edge of the other skate

Examples of axel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Clocking how a person’s hips will betray their next move is not a requirement for enjoying the UFC any more than knowing how to spot a triple axel is a prerequisite for enjoying Olympic figure skating. —Bhumika Tharoor, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026

The 21-year-old Virginian is the first figure skater to land a quadruple axel in competition, the first to successfully complete seven quad jumps in a single program, and the only skater to master all six skating jumps in quad form. —Alice Park, Time, 9 June 2026

The Olympics are a web of corruption until a 14-year-old does a triple axel over a sheet of ice and the conversation changes. —Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 6 June 2026

Land a Triple axel and go to the Olympics and nothing will take that away from me. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Axel Paulsen †1938 Norwegian figure skater

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for axel

• axle
• docetaxel
• paclitaxel
• transaxle

Biographical Definition

Axel

biographical name

Ax·​el ˈak-səl 

Richard 1946–     American biochemist