abscissa

[æbˈsɪs.ə]

abscissa Definition

the horizontal coordinate in a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, usually measured along the x-axis.

Using abscissa: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "abscissa" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

• Example

  The point (3,4) has an abscissa of 3.

• Example

  The abscissa axis is usually drawn horizontally.

Phrases with abscissa

• ordinate and abscissa

  the vertical and horizontal coordinates in a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, respectively

  Example

  The point (3,4) has an ordinate of 4 and an abscissa of 3.

• abscissa intercept

  the point where a line or curve intersects the abscissa axis

  Example

  The abscissa intercept of the line y = 2x + 1 is -1/2.

• abscissa scale

  the scale used to measure the values of the abscissa axis

  Example

  The abscissa scale on this graph goes from 0 to 10.

Origins of abscissa

from Latin 'ab-' meaning 'away from' and 'scindere' meaning 'to cut'

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Summary: abscissa in Brief

'Abscissa' [æbˈsɪs.ə] refers to the horizontal coordinate in a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, usually measured along the x-axis. It is often used in mathematics and physics to describe the position of a point or object in space. Phrases like 'ordinate and abscissa' and 'abscissa intercept' use 'abscissa' to denote specific points or measurements on a graph.