x-axis

noun

x-ax·​is ˈeks-ˌak-səs How to pronounce x-axis (audio)
1
: the axis in a plane Cartesian coordinate system parallel to which abscissas are measured
2
: one of the three axes in a three-dimensional rectangular coordinate system

Examples of x-axis in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Result: the murderer could only have been Person B, on the x-axis. — Sarah Larson, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025 There is a bar for each year on the x-axis whose length represents the average number of minutes change in time spent at home as compared to the same statistic in 2003. — The Learning Network, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of x-axis was in 1886

Rhymes for x-axis

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Browse Nearby Words

Xavier
x-axis
X band
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Cite this Entry

“X-axis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/x-axis. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

x-axis

noun
x-ax·​is
ˈek-ˌsak-səs
: the horizontal axis in a plane coordinate system along which or parallel to which abscissas are measured compare y-axis
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