axon

noun

ax·​on ˈak-ˌsän How to pronounce axon (audio)
variants or less commonly axone
: a usually long and single nerve-cell process that usually conducts impulses away from the cell body see neuron illustration

Examples of axon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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This involved delivering a pulse of alternating current with a small amplitude, and at a frequency of 2 Hz that has previously been shown to be effective in encouraging axon growth in lab settings. Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 6 July 2025 Positive ions flow in, causing a voltage change within the neuron that triggers it to fire with an action potential (3) that travels down the axon. Sangeeta S. Chavan, IEEE Spectrum, 9 June 2025 Hodgkin and Huxley used fine electrodes to look for voltage differences across axons, and within a few weeks had exciting preliminary results—but then Hitler invaded Poland. Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 26 May 2025 In August, 1939, the British physiologist Alan Hodgkin and his student Andrew Huxley (Aldous’s half brother) examined squid giant axons, which are up to a thousand times thicker than typical human nerve fibres and thus easier to study. Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 26 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for axon

Word History

Etymology

New Latin axon, from Greek axōn

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of axon was in 1895

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Cite this Entry

“Axon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/axon. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

axon

noun
ax·​on ˈak-ˌsän How to pronounce axon (audio)
variants also axone
: a usually long and single process of a neuron that usually carries impulses away from the cell body compare dendrite sense 2
axonal
ˈak-sən-ᵊl How to pronounce axon (audio)
ak-ˈsän-
-ˈsōn-
adjective

Medical Definition

axon

noun
ax·​on ˈak-ˌsän How to pronounce axon (audio)
variants also axone
: a usually long and single nerve-cell process that usually conducts impulses away from the cell body

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