axial vs longitudinal

axial

adj
  • In the same direction as the axis, parallel to the axis. 

  • Belonging to the axis of the body, or to the axis of any appendage or organ 

  • Relating to, resembling, or situated on an axis 

  • oriented close to the axis running through the centre of a cyclohexane ring, as opposed to equatorial. See w:Axial bond. 

noun
  • A plane parallel to the surface of a tooth. 

  • A flight feather that appears between the primaries and secondaries on some birds. 

longitudinal

adj
  • Forward and/or backward, relative to some defined direction. 

  • Relating to length, or to longitude. 

  • Running in the direction of the long axis of a body. 

  • Sampling data over time rather than merely once. 

noun
  • Any longitudinal piece, as in shipbuilding etc. 

  • A railway sleeper lying parallel with the rail. 

How often have the words axial and longitudinal occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )