Forms: 3–4 axeltre, 4–6 axil-, axyl-, 5 axille-, exil-, exul-, exyl-, 6 assyl-tre, exeltree, 6–7 axell-, 7 axol-, axil-, 6–8 axel-, 6– axle-tree. [ME. axel-tre, a. ON. öxul-tré, f. öxull AXLE + tré TREE, synonymous with the native AX-TREE. See AXLE2.]
(Axle-tree, being in earlier use than the simple axle, formerly included the sense of that word, and of axis. It is now restricted to sense 1, but axle is not kept quite distinct from it in use: see that word.)
1. The fixed bar or beam of wood, etc., on the rounded ends of which the opposite wheels of a carriage revolve. The original and only surviving sense. Axle-tree arms: the ends of the axle-tree which project beyond the wheels.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 21268. Quat quele mai be … and quat axeltre [v.r. axil tre, axiltree].
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks., 211. Ij. hopis to the exiltre.
1523. Fitzherb., Husb., § 5. Lyn pinnes of yren in the axiltre endes.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Kings vii. 30. Foure brasen wheles with brasen axeltrees.
1649. Blith, Eng. Improv. Impr. (1653), 167. The Beech … is very good Timber for … the Husbandman, for Axol-trees.
1755. Mrs. Delany, Diary, III. 349. No harm but to the axle-tree of their coach, which broke.
1794. W. Felton, Carriages (1801), I. 84. The arms of the axletree, which are made round, but rather of a conical form.
1855. Macaulay, Fredk. Gt., 47. [They] drove shabby old carriages till the axle-trees gave way.
1862. F. Griffiths, Artill. Man., 112. Axle-tree arm.
† 2. The spindle or AXLE of any wheel; the ‘axle’ in the Wheel-and-axle. Obs.
c. 1400. Maundev., xvii. 181. A wheel, that turneth be his Axille Tree.
1530. Palsgr., 196/1. Axiltre, aixsevl.
1659. Leak, Water-works, 19. It shall make the Wheel F to turn half a turn by the Cord which is fastned to the Axletree of the said Wheel.
1664. Evelyn, Sylva, II. vi. (1776), 370. For the cogs of mills, posts to be set in moist ground, and Everlasting Axle-trees.
† b. fig. (Cf. pivot, axis.)
c. 1600. Revel. Golias, Their chaunginge mynde on tickell axeltree, Is rold and tost about.
1646. Unhappy Game Scotch & Eng., in 4th Scarce Tracts (1752), I. 350. You make his Will the very Axeltree upon which your argument turnes.
1674. Marvell, Reh. Transp., II. 171. A necessity … which drove the great Iron nail thorough the Axle-tree of Nature.
† 3. A revolving or driving shaft. Obs.
1659. Leak, Water-works, 18. A straight Axeltree of wood, a foot square, and 60-foot high.
† 4. = AXIS: a. The imaginary or geometrical line that forms the axis of revolution of any body, e.g., the earth, a planet, the heavens. Obs.
c. 1400. Epiph. (Turnb., 1843), 113. The axyltre betwene the polys tweyne.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., III. I. ii. 280. A right imaginative line, called of the Astronomers the Axletree of the world, about the which the world continually turneth like a Cart-wheele.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., I. iii. 65. Strong as the Axletree In which the Heauens ride.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., IV. viii. Most like the poles in heavens Axletrees.
† b. poetically (transl. L. axis): The pole of the heaven; the heaven, the sky. Obs.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VI. ix. 3. Hir rosy chariot the fresche Aurora Amydwart of the heuynis assiltre Begouth for till wproll.
1626. G. Sandys, Ovid’s Met., I. 7. And burne heauens Axeltree.
† c. The central line, e.g., the axis of vision.
1624. Wotton, Archit. (1672), 52. The Parts farthest from the Axel-tree, or middle Beam of the Eye.
Hence Axletreed a., furnished with an axle-tree.
1580. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 36. Strong exeltred cart.
