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In coordinate geometry, the term “abscissa” refers to the x-coordinate of a point, representing the horizontal distance of that point from the vertical or y-axis. The coordinates of a point in a two-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system are usually denoted as (x, y), where x is the abscissa and y is the ordinate.
For example, consider a point with coordinates (4, 3). In this case, the abscissa is 4, indicating that the point is located 4 units horizontally from the y-axis. The y-coordinate, 3 in this instance, is referred to as the ordinate, representing the vertical distance from the x-axis.
In summary, the abscissa and ordinate together define the position of a point in a coordinate system, with the abscissa specifically indicating the horizontal distance from the y-axis.
The horizontal distance from the y-axis in coordinate geometry. In this diagram the abscissa is 4.