Meanings
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1
adj
relating to or situated in the axilla or armpit
The physician examined the axillary lymph nodes beneath the patient's arm.
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2
adj
ornithology: situated beneath a bird's wing near where it joins the body
The bird's pale axillary feathers were visible only in flight.
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3
adj
botany: growing from or situated in the axil where a leaf or branch meets a stem
An axillary bud formed between the leaf and the main stem.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Latin axilla ("armpit") + -ary. Ornithology applies the anatomical term to the underwing region, while botany transfers the same armpit-like image to the angle between a leaf or branch and its stem.