ɪf ˈɛnɚdʒi ɪz dˈɪsᵻpˌeɪɾᵻd wˌaɪl ɐn ˈɑːbdʒɛkt ɪz ɹoʊtˈeɪɾɪŋ, ðɪs wɪl kˈɔːz ðə pˈɑːlhoʊd mˈoʊʃən ɐbˌaʊt ðɪ ˈæksɪs ʌv mˈæksɪməm ɪnˈɜːʃə ˈɔːlsoʊ kˈɔːld ðə mˈeɪdʒɚ pɹˈɪnsɪpəl ˈæksɪs tə dˈæmp ˈaʊt ɔːɹ stˈeɪbɪlˌaɪz, wɪððə pˈɑːlhoʊd pˈæθ bᵻkˈʌmɪŋ ɐ smˈɔːlɚ ænd smˈɔːlɚɹ ɪlˈɪps ɔːɹ sˈɜːkəl, klˈoʊzɪŋ ɪn ɔnðɪ ˈæksɪs.
If energy is dissipated while an object is rotating, this will cause the polhode motion about the axis of maximum inertia (also called the major principal axis) to damp out or stabilize, with the polhode path becoming a smaller and smaller ellipse or circle, closing in on the axis.