Axletree
/ˈæk.səlˌtriː/noun
A bar or beam forming, supporting, or connecting part of an axle assembly, especially in a vehicle or carriage.
Did you know?In older English, tree could mean a substantial piece of wood or timber, so axletree described an axle as a wooden structural beam rather than a living plant.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₂eḱs-
“An axle or central pivot; the ancient root behind the idea of rotation around a fixed line.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
áxōn
“Axis or axle; a rotating rod or central line.”
Classical Latin
Latin
axis
“Axle, axle-tree, or the central line around which something turns.”
Old English
Old English
æxle
“Axle; the bar on which a wheel turns.”
Middle English
Middle English
axeltre
“An axle-tree or wooden axle beam; the compound combines axle with tre, “tree” or timber.”
Modern English
English
axletree
“A chiefly historical term for an axle beam or structural part of a vehicle’s axle assembly.”