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

The winner of five consecutive world championships (1948-1952), Button performed the first double axel in any competition. —David Morgan, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2025

She was born in Massachusetts to Nigerian immigrants and, as a teen, was an exceptional figure skater: one who could land double axels with a practiced ease that betrayed the intense commitment behind them. —Daron James, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2025

Cory recently landed a triple axel, a wildly difficult move, Strid said. —Chris Kenning, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025

And so were four coaches who spent long hours on the ice teaching jumps and spins, twizzles and loops, double and triple axels to talented skaters, some on the path to the Olympics. —Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 5 Feb. 2025

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