Plain English Meaning

Air moves straight through the engine from front to back, getting squeezed tighter at each stage as it passes through spinning blades and fixed blades in turn.

Full Definition

A turbine engine compressor design in which air flows through the compressor in a path roughly parallel to the engine's long axis, passing through alternating stages of rotating blades and stationary vanes that progressively compress the air before it enters the combustion section.

Context Anchor

Seen in turbine engine discussions, especially when comparing compressor designs and how air moves through a jet engine.

Derivation

From Latin axis ("axle, central line") and English flow. The name describes the airflow direction: along the engine's central axis, rather than thrown outward sideways as in a centrifugal compressor.