Cartesian coordinate

noun

, Mathematics.

1. Usually Cartesian coordinates. a member of a system of coordinates for locating a point on a plane Cartesian plane by its distance from each of two intersecting lines, or in space by its distance from each of three planes intersecting at a point.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Cartesian coordinate¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Like Pythagoras, Descartes was a mathematician-philosopher; perhaps his most lasting legacy was a mathematical invention—what we now call Cartesian coordinates.

From Literature

It was on one such morning—as the story goes—while dreamily watching the path of a fly flitting around on the ceiling, that he came up with the xy plane of Cartesian coordinates.

From The New Yorker

Instead of using stodgy Cartesian coordinates, Black Rock City is organized along polar coordinates, making its coordinate system unique among massive fire-themed desert art festivals.

From Scientific American

By tracking, he means that every robot has a camera underneath it, pointing down at a surface made up of tiny, intricate circles that are part of a Cartesian coordinate system.

From New York Times

In particular, he taught his dad that the first step in making a graph is to draw what's called Cartesian coordinates.

From Scientific American