Definition: The word "axlegate" appears in the Bible several times, but its precise meaning varies according to context. In 2 Samuel 20:7-9, it refers to a man who had a wife named Esther but later died without having children. Definition of axlegate: 1) A person or thing that is alive and not dead. [NRSV] 2) An act, practice, or method, as one that has been done previously; an old custom; tradition. [NLT]