Definition of "ordinates" []

• Plural form of ordinate. (noun)

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• "Here we must remember that the mutual distance of the ordinates has been a wholly arbitrary one in all our previous considerations."
• "The position and figure of any object are determined by determining the position of a sufficient number of points in it; and the position of any point may be determined by the magnitude of three rectangular co-ordinates, that is, of the perpendiculars drawn from the point to three planes at right angles to one another, arbitrarily selected."
• "Now if we use a system of co-ordinates which is rigidly attached to the earth, then, relative to this system, every fixed star describes a circle of immense radius in the course of an astronomical day, a result which is opposed to the statement of the law of inertia."