abscissa Hear it!

abscissa definition

ab·scissa (ab sis′ə, əb-)

noun pl. abscissas -·sas or abscissae -·sae (-ē)

Math. the horizontal Cartesian coordinate on a plane, measured from the y-axis along a line parallel with the x-axis to point P

Etymology: L abscissa (linea), (a line) cut off, fem. of abscissus, pp. of abscindere, to cut off < ab-, from, off + scindere, to cut < IE *skei-: for base see saw

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.