polar coordinate
noun Mathematics.
Usually polar coordinates.
one of two coordinates used to locate a point in a plane by the length of its radius vector and the angle this vector makes with the polar axis (polar angle).
Origin of polar coordinate
First recorded in 1810–20
Words nearby polar coordinate
polar body,
polar bond,
polar cap,
polar cataract,
polar circle,
polar coordinate,
polar coordinate system,
polar coordinates,
polar distance,
polar equation,
polar front
British Dictionary definitions for polar coordinates
polar coordinates
pl n
a pair of coordinates for locating a point in a plane by means of the length of a radius vector, r, which pivots about the origin to establish the angle, θ, that the position of the point makes with a fixed line. Usually written (r, θ)
See also Cartesian coordinates, spherical coordinates