apex
- 1The highest point or top of something, especially where it forms a point, as of a triangle, cone, or tower.
Workers bolted a red beacon light to the apex of the radio tower.
Snow lingered on the apexes of the barn roofs long after the fields had thawed.
UsagePlural apexes or apices. Usually followed by of: the apex of a roof.
- 2The moment when something reaches its greatest success, growth, or extent.
At the apex of its power, the trading company controlled ports on three continents.
Many fans consider the band's third album the apex of its creative run.
UsageUsually at the apex of: at the apex of its power. Peak is the plainer word.
Similarpeak, height, pinnacle, culmination, acme
Oppositenadir
- 3The top of the food chain, used before a noun to describe the animals or species that occupy it.
Removing an apex predator such as the wolf can let deer numbers climb out of control.
Researchers tracked how the loss of apex species changed the whole ecosystem.
Note
An animal at the top of a food web has, once grown, no natural predators of its own, which is why its loss can change every level beneath it.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- An apex predator occupies the top of a food chain and has no natural predators of its own. acer.disl.edu
- Losing an apex predator can cause changes throughout lower trophic levels. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4The pointed end or tip of a part of a body or plant, such as the tongue, heart, or a leaf.
The petals are white, with a faint pink blush toward the apex.
Leaves of this species are oval, with rounded apices and heart-shaped bases.
Oppositebase
Note
Botanists describe a leaf's apex by its shape, just as they describe the base at the other end: it may be acute, acuminate (drawn out into a long point), obtuse, rounded or emarginate (notched). Together with the base and the margin, these terms are how field guides tell similar plants apart.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
- Botanists describe leaf apex and base shapes; apex shapes include acute, acuminate, obtuse, rounded and emarginate. vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au
- An acuminate leaf apex tapers into a long point. content.ces.ncsu.edu
- An emarginate leaf apex is notched. fao.org
- Leaf apex, base and margin characteristics help identify and distinguish plants. landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu
- 5The part of a corner at which the racing line passes closest to the inside of the bend.
He clipped the apex of turn four and carried more speed onto the straight.
A late apex lets the rider open the throttle earlier on the exit.
UsageDrivers hit or clip the apex; coaches speak of an early or a late apex.
Note
Reaching the inside point later in the corner usually lets the car straighten up and accelerate sooner, which is why a late apex is common advice before a long straight.
Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 2 facts
- A later apex generally opens up the corner exit, allowing the car to straighten and reach full throttle sooner. driver61.com
- A late apex is recommended before a long straight to improve exit speed. senndit.com
- 6The growing point at the tip of a plant shoot, where new growth forms.
Under the microscope, the dome-shaped shoot apex was ringed by tiny developing leaves.
Deer had browsed off the apex of every sapling, leaving the young trees stunted and forked.
Similartip
Note
The working core of the shoot apex is the apical meristem, a cluster of dividing cells that lengthens the stem and forms new leaves. The apex also holds back the buds below it, an effect called apical dominance, which is why pinching out the tip makes many plants grow bushier.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- The shoot apex contains an apical meristem whose dividing cells contribute to stem lengthening. openstax.org
- The shoot apical meristem produces new leaves. www-archiv.fdm.uni-hamburg.de
- The shoot apex suppresses the growth of lower buds through apical dominance; removing it by pinching encourages bushier growth in many plants. rhs.org.uk
Less common meanings
- 7In lettering, the sharp upward point formed by two strokes meeting at an acute angle, as in capital A or W, or by a tapered stroke, as in lowercase t.
The designer lowered the apex of the capital A so it would not crowd the line above.
In this typeface, the apex of the lowercase t rises only slightly above the crossbar.
Note
Type designers name the parts of a letter, and the apex has a partner. It is the joint at the top, where the strokes of a capital A meet; the matching joint at the bottom, where the strokes of a V come together, is the vertex. Not every apex is sharp: some typefaces cut it flat.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts
- Type designers name letter parts, including the apex at the top of capital A. monotype.com
- The corresponding bottom joint of V is called the vertex. en.wikipedia.org
- An apex can be flat instead of sharp. noirblancrouge.com
- 8A diacritic of Classical Latin, shaped much like an acute accent, sometimes written over a vowel to show that it was long.
- 9The point on the celestial sphere that the Sun appears to be heading toward, judged by its motion relative to nearby stars.
- 10The end or edge of a mineral vein that lies nearest the surface of the ground.
- 11The lowest point of a pendant drop, that is, a drop of liquid hanging down from where it is attached.
- 12An obstacle for a horse to jump, built as a fence that forms a triangular corner.
- 13A diacritic used in writing Middle Vietnamese to indicate the sound /ŋ͡m/.
- 14A conical cap worn by certain priests of ancient Rome, especially the flamines.
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of apex apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
Borrowed from Latin apex, meaning “point, tip, summit”.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- English apex was borrowed from Latin apex. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin apex means “point, tip, summit”. en.wiktionary.org