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Glite Dictionary
coordinate axis

coordinate axis

4.4
A fixed straight line that shows where points are on a graph, like the x or y line
  • noun
  • /ˈkɔːrdɪneɪt ˈæksɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : eje coordenado
  • So if we just take a moment to draw our surface in three-dimensional coordinate space, we can draw our coordinate axis here where we have XY and Z.

That simply rotates the coordinate axes.

Examples

  • And I'll draw a set of coordinate axes here on which to map these orbitals.

  • Likewise the translation of space, the motion from one point moving our coordinate axes, not rotating them but translating them.

  • This process was followed for each of the three coordinate axes.

    Academic text (1996)

  • So the distance from the origin to the point XY has to be the same independent of which coordinate axes we use.

  • At that point on the floor, you visualize A coordinate axis, which we'll call the X&Y axis.

  • So when I go ahead and graph this now on an XY coordinate axis, instead of going over one, I'm now going to go to the left one.

  • Called triads, they act much like variable coordinate axes affixed to each point in space.

    Academic text (2012)

  • We have a three-dimensional coordinate system here, and if we follow the right hand rule, we've got coordinate axes XY and Z.

  • The graph shows the relationship between variables along the x and y coordinate axes.

  • In this three-dimensional model, the lengths are plotted along the z coordinate axis.

Synonyms

axis
vscoordinate axis
44 5.1

A straight line that an object turns around, like the Earth turning

serves instead as a fixed reference line for locating points

Surface Forms

coordinate axis singular
coordinate axes plural

Morphology

coordinate + axis

The noun phrase is transparently compositional: 'coordinate' relates to a point's position and 'axis' is a reference line, so combined they denote a reference line used for coordinates (e.g. the x- or y-axis). This is a standard mathematical compound found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The noun coordinate axis comes from the image of two fixed lines crossing like a big plus sign. Each axis and the idea of coordinate, lines that work together, show 'where something is' by giving directions left and right and up and down, so the phrase means a fixed line you use to find a point.