real axis

[ ree-uhl ak-sis, reel ]

noun

, Mathematics.

1. the horizontal axis in an Argand diagram.

Word History and Origins

Origin of real axis¹

First recorded in 1830–35

Example Sentences

Squaring a complex number on the unit circle is equivalent to doubling its argument, or the angle it makes with the positive real axis.

From FiveThirtyEight

The axis Ox is often called the real axis, and the axis Oy the imaginary axis.

From Project Gutenberg