a jump in figure skating in which the skater takes off from one skate, does one and a half turns in the air, and lands on the other skate, facing in the opposite direction but moving in the same direction
See axel in American Heritage Dictionary 4
(ăkˈsəl)
noun
A jump in figure skating that is initiated from the outer forward edge of one skate, followed by one and one-half midair turns and a return to the outer backward edge of the other skate.