x-axis

American  

[eks-ak-sis] / ˈɛksˌæk sɪs /

noun

Mathematics.

plural

x-axes

1. Also called axis of abscissas.  (in a plane Cartesian coordinate system) the axis, usually horizontal, along which the abscissa is measured and from which the ordinate is measured.

2. (in a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system) the axis along which values of x are measured and at which both y and z equal zero.

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x-axis British  

noun

1. a reference axis, usually horizontal, of a graph or two- or three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system along which the x- coordinate is measured

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x-axis Scientific  

/ ĕks′ăk′sĭs /

1. The horizontal axis of a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

2. One of the three axes of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.

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Etymology

Origin of x-axis

First recorded in 1925–30

Compare meaning

How does x-axis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• x-axis vs. y-axis

Example Sentences

The amount of time elapsed since he left home is shown on the y-axis, and the distance traveled eastward is shown on the x-axis.

From Textbooks • Oct. 13, 2016

Write an expression for the electric field E along the x-axis as a function of position x in the region between objects S and T in terms of q, d, and fundamental constants, as appropriate.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Components along the same axis, say the x-axis, are vectors along the same line and, thus, can be added to one another like ordinary numbers.

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Assuming that both cars continue moving along the x-axis after the collision, what will be the velocities of each car after the collision?

From Textbooks • Aug. 12, 2015

Well, by definition, i2 = –1—a point whose angle is 180 degrees from the x-axis; the angle has doubled.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife