ax·on

[ak-son]
noun
Cell Biology. the appendage of the neuron that transmits impulses away from the cell body.
Also, ax·one [ak-sohn] .


Origin:
1835–45; < Neo-Latin < Greek áxōn an axle, axis; akin to Latin axis

ax·on·al [ak-suh-nl, ‐son-l] , adjective
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World English Dictionary
axon or axone (ˈæksɒn, ˈæksəʊn) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
Compare dendrite the long threadlike extension of a nerve cell that conducts nerve impulses from the cell body
 
[C19: via New Latin from Greek: axis, axle, vertebra]
 
axone or axone
 
n
 
[C19: via New Latin from Greek: axis, axle, vertebra]
 
'axonal or axone
 
adj

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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00:10
Axon is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

axon
"axis of the vertebrate body," 1842, from Gk. axon "axis" (see axis).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

axon ax·on (āk'sŏn') or ax·one (-sōn')
n.
The usually long process of a nerve fiber that generally conducts impulses away from the body of the nerve cell.


ax'on·al (āk'sə-nəl, āk-sŏn'əl) adj.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
axon   (āk'sŏn')  Pronunciation Key 
The long portion of a neuron that conducts impulses away from the body of the cell. Also called nerve fiber.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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American Heritage
Cultural Dictionary

axon definition


The part of a nerve cell or neuron that transfers a nerve impulse from the nerve cell body to a synapse with another cell. (See action potential.) Depending on the location of the cell, the length of an axon can vary widely. In some cases (such as the axons that form the spinal cord), they may be several feet long.

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

axon

portion of a nerve cell (neuron) that carries nerve impulses away from the cell body. A neuron typically has one axon that connects it with other neurons or with muscle or gland cells. Some axons may be quite long, reaching, for example, from the spinal cord down to a toe. Most axons of vertebrates are enclosed in a myelin sheath, which increases the speed of impulse transmission; some large axons may transmit impulses at speeds up to 90 metres (300 feet) per second.

Learn more about axon with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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Example sentences
As the axon reaches its designated muscle, it branches out, and each tip
  extends to an individual muscle fiber.
Small multipolar cell, in which the axon quickly divides into numerous branches.
To communicate, a neuron fires an electrical signal down its axon, a single
  fiber extending away from the cell's center.
Instead of recoiling smoothly, the axon develops kinks.
Images for axon
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