abscissa
[ ab-sis-uh ]
/ æbˈsɪs ə /
noun, plural ab·scis·sas, ab·scis·sae [ab-sis-ee] /æbˈsɪs i/. Mathematics.
(in plane Cartesian coordinates) the x-coordinate of a point: its distance from the y-axis measured parallel to the x-axis.
Compare
ordinate.
Origin of abscissa
Words nearby abscissa
abscam,
abscess,
abscind,
abscise,
abscisic acid,
abscissa,
abscission,
abscission layer,
abscission zone,
abscond,
abscondee
Example sentences from the Web for abscissa
British Dictionary definitions for abscissa
abscissa
/ (æbˈsɪsə) /
noun plural -scissas or -scissae (-ˈsɪsiː)
the horizontal or x -coordinate of a point in a two-dimensional system of Cartesian coordinates. It is the distance from the y -axis measured parallel to the x -axis
Compare ordinate
Word Origin for abscissa
C17: New Latin, originally
linea abscissa a cut-off line
Scientific definitions for abscissa
abscissa
[ ăb-sĭs′ə ]
Plural abscissas abscissae (ăb-sĭs′ē)
The distance of a point from the y-axis on a graph in the Cartesian coordinate system. It is measured parallel to the x-axis. For example, a point having coordinates (2,3) has 2 as its abscissa. Compare ordinate.