y-axis
Americannoun
-
Also called axis of ordinates. (in a plane Cartesian coordinate system) the axis, usually vertical, along which the ordinate is measured and from which the abscissa is measured.
-
(in a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system) the axis along which values of y are measured and at which both x and z equal zero.
noun
-
The vertical axis of a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.
-
One of the three axes of a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of y-axis
First recorded in 1925–30
Compare meaning
How does y-axis compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Vocabulary lists containing y-axis
Expressions and Equations
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Geometry - Introductory
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Geometry - Middle School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Both plots were sourced from the same dataset and should thus be identical—but the plot in one paper has a y-axis with a scale that is about 7,000 times larger than the other.
From Scientific American ● Jul. 27, 2023
The vertical y-axis is the bedroom door, on one side noise, density, debate, ideas; on the other, quiet, space, solitude, privacy.
From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2022
What can be said about the symmetry of the graph of an ellipse with center at the origin and foci along the y-axis?
From Textbooks ● Sep. 23, 2020
Reflect the graph of the parent function about the y-axis.
From Textbooks ● Sep. 23, 2020
A wire along the y-axis carries current in the +y-direction.
From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015
Since the applied forces are perpendicular, the x- and y-axes are in the same direction as F x and Fy .
From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015
Identify the x- and y-axes that will be used in the problem.
From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015
How are the polar axes different from the x- and y-axes of the Cartesian plane?
From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015
The field of graph theory deals not with plots of data over x- and y-axes but rather with what laypersons might call networks.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 5, 2012
Bohm had suggested swapping the values of the particles' spins along the x- and y-axes for position and momentum.
From Scientific American ● Jan. 30, 2012
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
