axis of evil

== English == === Etymology === Coined by American political commentator David Frum in 2002 and first used publicly by President George W. Bush in the 2002 State of the Union Address. Possibly from a historical analogy to the German-Italian-Japanese axis. Extended to astrophysics by Portuguese scientist João Magueijo in 2005. === Pronunciation === === Noun === axis of evil (plural axes of evil) A group of states accused by George W. Bush of sponsoring terrorism and seeking weapons of mass destruction, originally defined as Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. (astrophysics, cosmology) An anomaly in the temperature of the cosmic microwave background as the result of a preferential axis which may have shaped the development of the universe. Synonym: AOE ==== Translations ==== ==== See also ==== (used by supporters of Iran): axis of resistance (astrophysics): dark flow, CMB cold spot communism socialism Islamism