abscissa

Etymology

By ellipsis from Latin [linea] abscissa, feminine of abscissus, perfect passive participle of abscindō (“cut off”). See abscind.

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 point (3,2) has 3 as its abscissa and 2 as its ordinate.
  2. (geometry) The horizontal line representing an axis of a Cartesian coordinate system, on which the abscissa (sense above) is shown.

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