Abscissa

Pronunciation

• US IPA: /æbˈsɪs.É™/
• Hyphenation: ab + scis + sa

Origin

From Latin abscissa, feminine of abscissus, perfect passive participle of abscindō ("cut off"). See abscind.

Full definition of abscissa

Noun

1. (geometry) The first of the two terms by which a point is referred to, in a system of fixed rectilinear coordinate (Cartesian coordinate) axes. The abscissa is also known as the "x" coordinate of a point, shown on the horizontal line, with the ordinate, also known as the "y" coordinate, shown on the vertical line. First attested in the late 17^th century.The point $(3,2)$ has 3 as its abscissa and 2 as its ordinate.

Usage notes

Originally, it referred to the portion of a line between a fixed point on that line and the intersection of that line with an ordinate.

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Synonyms

• absciss