Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

axilla

play
noun ax·il·la \ag-ˈzi-lə, ak-ˈsi-\

Definition of axilla

plural

axillae

play \-(ˌ)lē, -ˌlī\ or

axillas

  1. :  the cavity beneath the junction of a forelimb and the body; especially :  armpit

See axilla defined for kids

Explore Merriam-Webster

alt-5970fcc51169b
Trending: An Interview Full of 'Non sequiturs'
image386126722
Words That Come From the Dinner Table
alt-59721dd897313
The 'Best' Way to Sign Off On An E-mail
video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Origin and Etymology of axilla

Latin, diminutive of ala wing, upper arm, armpit, axil — more at aisle

Medical Dictionary

axilla

play play
noun ax·il·la \ag-ˈzil-ə, ak-ˈsil-\

Medical Definition of axilla

plural

axillae

\-(ˌ)ē, -ˌī\play or

axillas

  1. :  the cavity beneath the junction of the arm or anterior appendage and shoulder or shoulder girdle containing the axillary artery and vein, a part of the brachial plexus of nerves, many lymph nodes, and fat and areolar tissue; especially :  armpit

Learn More about axilla

  1. See words that rhyme with axilla Nglish: Translation of axilla for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up axilla? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

gauche

play

lacking social experience or grace

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. non sequitur “It does not follow”

  2. admiral's mast A massive search ends with an 'admiral's mast'.

  3. calumny 'An untrue statement that is made to damage someone's reputation'

  4. kakistocracy Frustrated Twitter users have been searching for this word.

  5. bona fide Made in good faith

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

axilla

Test Your Vocabulary

The Emoji Quiz

  • emoji-the-quiz
  • What phase of the moon is this: 🌖 ?
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-59721dd897313
The 'Best' Way to Sign Off On An E-mail

Give them your best

image386126722
Words and Phrases That Come from the Dinner Table

Fill your plate with these surprising food words

ghost-being-disinvited-from-party
'Disinvite' or 'Uninvite'?

A disinvited guest is an uninvited problem

alt-596f730ceb5ae
Words We're Watching: 'Scoby'

Kombucha lovers unite.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066
Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

payday
How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

emoji-the-quiz
The Emoji Quiz

Think you’re an emoji 👓 expert? Let’s see 🤔

Take the quiz
image941935269
A Game of Thrones Word Quiz

In the Game of Thrones quiz, you learn some new vocabulary. (It’s quite safe, really. You will not die.)

Take the quiz
Name That Thing
Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Word Winder's CrossWinder

A game of winding words.

Play the game