The point on a curve where a racing line comes closest to the inside edge of the corner.
Examples
The driver clipped the apex and accelerated out of the corner.
A late apex gave the car a cleaner exit.
He missed the apex and ran wide onto the curb.
The racing line bends toward the apex before opening out.
A wet track made the usual apex too slippery.
The coach marked the corner apex with a cone.
Similar words
clipping point
turning point
Highest in a hierarchy
adjective
hierarchy
technical
At the top of a ranked system, food chain, legal structure, financial network, or organization.
Examples
Sharks are often described as apex predators.
The supreme court is the apex court in that legal system.
Central banks often act as apex financial institutions.
The apex body set standards for the whole profession.
An apex regulator oversees several smaller agencies.
The wolf returned as an apex species in the park.
Similar words
top
leading
supreme
highest-ranking
dominant
chief
Specialized named point or mark
noun
technical
technical
A technical point, edge, or mark that serves as a named extremity in fields such as astronomy, mining, and Latin writing.
Examples
Roman inscriptions sometimes marked a long vowel with an apex.
The solar apex lies in the direction of the Sun's motion through nearby stars.
The prospector traced the apex of the vein near the surface.
The grammar note compares the Latin apex with later accent marks.
Astronomers distinguished the apex from the opposite point, the antapex.
The legal dispute turned on where the vein's apex reached the claim.
Similar words
mark
point
edge
extremity
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin apex, meaning a summit, peak, tip, top, or extreme end. The regular English plural is apexes, while the Latin plural apices remains common in technical use.
FAQ
What does apex mean?
Apex means the top, tip, pointed end, or highest point of something, either literally or figuratively.
What is the plural of apex?
Both apexes and apices are used. Apexes is the regular plural, while apices is common in technical contexts.
What does apex mean in racing?
In racing, the apex is the point where the racing line comes closest to the inside of a corner.
What does apex predator mean?
An apex predator is a predator at the top of a food chain, with few or no natural predators of its own.
Is APEX the same as apex?
No. Lowercase apex is the English word for a top or high point. Uppercase APEX is usually an abbreviation or proper name.
Comments & contributions
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