Math Definitions

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

absolute value: the distance between any real number and 0 on a number line; for example, |−3| = 3, |3| = 3
acute angle: An angle measuring less than 90°.
acute triangle: A triangle in which each of the three interior angles is acute.
addition property of equality: Adding the same quantity to both sides of an equation produces an equivalent equation. For any numbers a, b, and c if a = b, then a + c = b + c
algebraic expression: A mathematical expression containing a variable: for example, 6x − 4 is an algebraic expression.
algorithm: A specific set of instructions for carrying out a procedure.
alternate angles: Two angles formed on opposite sides of a transversal.
altitude: The perpendicular distance from the base of a figure to the opposite side or vertex.
amortization: The repayment of the principal and interest of a loan by equal payments over a fixed period of time.
amount: The value of the principal plus interest.
amplitude of a function: The distance from the central axis to the minimum or maximum value of a periodic function.
analytic geometry: The geometry that uses the xy-plane to determine equations that represent lines and curves. See also coordinate geometry.
angle bisector: The line that divides an angle into two equal angles.
angle of depression: The angle, measured downward, between the horizontal and the line of sight from an observer to an object.
angle of elevation: The angle, measured upward, between the horizontal and the line of sight from an observer to an object.
angular velocity: The angle per unit time through which an object rotates about the centre of a circle.
annuity: a series of regular, equal payments paid into, or out of, an account.
application: The use of the concepts and skills of mathematics to solve real-world problems.
approximation: A number close to the exact value; the symbol ≅ means “is approximately equal to”.
area: The number of square units contained in a region.
arithmetic sequence: A sequence of numbers in which each term after the first term is calculated by adding the same number to the preceding term; for example, in the sequence 1, 4, 7, 10, …, each number is calculated by adding 3 to the previous number.
arithmetic series: The indicated sum of the terms of an arithmetic sequence.
asymptote: A line that a curve approaches, but never reaches.
average: a single number that represents a set of numbers; see mean, median, and mode.
axis of symmetry: A line that is invariant under a reflection.

B

balance: The result when money is added to or subtracted from an original amount.
bar notation: The use of a horizontal bar over a decimal digit to indicate that it repeats; for example, 1.3 means 1.333 333 …
base (geometry): The side of a polygon or the face of a solid from which the height is measured; the factor repeated in a power.
base (of a power): The umber used as a factor for repeated multiplication. . In 6³, the base is 6.
BEDMAS: An acronym that lists the order of operations. BEDMAS stands for Brackets, Exponents, Division, Multiplication, Addition, Straction,
binomial: A polynomial (or algebraic expression) with two terms; for example, 3x − 8 is a binomial
bisector: A line that divides a line segment into two equal parts.
branches: The two distinct parts of a hyperbola.
broken-line graph: A graph that relates two variables as ordered pairs, with consecutive points joined by line segments.

capacity

capacity: The greatest volume that a container can hold, usually measured in litres, millilitres, or kilolitres.
Cartesian coordinate system: The system developed by René Descartes for graphing points as ordered pairs on a grid made up of two perpendicular number lines.
centroid of a triangle: The point of intersection of the three medians of a triangle. Also called the centre of gravity or balance point.
chord: (A line segment joining two points on a curve.) OR (A line segment whose endpoints lie on a conic.)
circle: The set of all points in the plane that are equidistant from a fixed point called the centre.
circumcentre of a triangle: The point of intersection of the three perpendicular bisectors of the sides of a triangle.
circumcircle of a triangle: The circle with centre at the circumcentre of a triangle, and passing through the three vertices of the triangle.
circumference: The perimeter of a circle.
coefficient: The factor by which a variable is multiplied. For example, in the term 8y, the coefficient is 8; in the term ax, the coefficient is a.
co-interior angles: The two angles between two lines and on the same side of a transversal.
collecting like terms: Simplifying an expression containing like terms by adding their coefficients.
collinear points: Points that lie in the same straight line.
(−3, −2), (0, 1), and (4, 5) are collinear points. They lie on the line y = x + 1.
commission: A fee or pyament given to a sales-person, usually a specified percent of the person’s sales.
common denominator: A number that is a multiple of each of the given denominators; for exmaple, 12 is a common denominator for the fractions 1/3, 5/4, 7/12.
common difference: The number obtained by subtracting any term from the next term in an arithmetic sequence.
common factor: A monomial that is a factor of each of the given monomials; for example, 3x is a common factor of 15x, 9x², and 21xy.
common ratio: The ratio formed by dividing any term after the first one in a geometric sequence by the preceding term.
complementary angles: Angles whose sum is 90°.
complete the square: Add or subtract constants to rewrite a quadratic expression ax² + bx + c as a(x − p)² + q.
complex number: Any number of the form a + bi, where a and b are real numbers and i² = −1.
composite figure: A figure made up of two or more distinct figures.
compound interest: See interest; if the interest due is added to the principal and thereafter earns interest, the interest earned is compound interest.
compounding period: The time interval for which interest is calculated.
compression of a function: A transformation that results in the graph of a function being compressed horizontally or vertically.
concurrent lines: Two or more lines that have one point in common.
cone: (A three-dimensional object with a circular base and a curved lateral surface that extends from the base to a point called the vertex.) OR (The surface generated when a line is rotated in space about a fixed point P on the line.)
congruence: The property of being congruent. Two geometric figures are congruent if they are equal in all respects (same size and shape).
conjugate complex numbers: Two numbers of the form a + bi and a − bi, where a and b are real numbers and i² = −1.
consecutive numbers: Integers that come one after the other without any integers missing; for example, 34, 35, 36 are consecutive numbers, so are −2, −1, 0, and 1.
constant function: f(x) = c, where c is a constant.
constant of variation: In a direct variation, the ratio of corresponding values of the variables.
constant rate of change: A relationship between two variables illustrates a constant rate of change when equal intervals of the first variable are associated with equal intervals of the second variable. For example, if a car travels at 80 km/h, in the first hour it travels 80 km, in the second hour it travels 80 km, and so on.
constant term: A term that does not include a variable (i.e. a number).
continuous graph: A graph that consists of an unbroken line or curve.
convex polygon: A polygon in which any line segment joining two points on the polygon has no part outside the polygon.
coordinate axes: The x- and y-axes on a grid that represents a plane.
coordinate geometry: The geometry in which geometrical points and figures are described in terms of their position in a coordinate system. See also analytic geometry.
coordinate plane: (A one-to-one pairing of all ordered pairs of real numbers with all points of a plane. Also called the Cartesian coordinate plane.) OR (A two-dimesnional surface on which a coordinate system has been set up.)
coordinates: The numbers in an ordered pair that locate a point in the plane.
corresponding angles: Four pairs of angles fromed by two lines and a transversal.
corresponding angles in similar triangles: Two angles, one in each triangle, that are equal.
cosine of θ: The first coordinate of point P, where P is on the unit circle, centre (0, 0), and θ is the measure of the angle in standard position.
cosine law: The relationship between the lengths of the three sides and the cosine of an angle in any triangle.
a² = b² + c² −2bc cos A
cosine ratio: In a right triangle, for acute angle θ, the ratio of length of the side adjacent to ∠θ and the length of the hypotenuse.
counterexample: An example that demonstrates that a conjecture is false.
cube root: A number which, when raised to the power 3, results in a given number; for example, 4 is the cube root of 64, and −4 is the cube root of −64.
curve of best fit: The curve that best describes the distribution of points in a scatter plot.
cylinder: A three-dimensional object with two bases that are congruent circles, and a curved surface connecting the two bases.

D

degree of a polynomial in one variable: The greatest exponent of the variable in any one term.
The degree of n³ + 2n² − 8n is 3.
degree of a polynomial in two or more variables: The greatest sum of the exponents in any one term.
The degree of 2a⁴b² + 3a²b² − ab⁴ is 6.
dependent variable: In a function, the variable whose value depends on the value of the independent variable. On a coordinate grid, the values of the dependent variable are on the vertical axis.
diagonal: A line segment joining two non-adjacent vertices of a polygon.
diameter of a circle: A chord that passes through the centre of a circle.
difference of squares: A technique of factoring applied to an expression of the form a² − b², which involves the subtraction of two perfect squares.
a² − b² = (a − b)(a + b)
dilatation: A transformation that changes the size of an object. It involves a stretch or a shrink by a scale factor of k.
dilatation image: The iamge of a figure in a plane after a dilatation.
direct variation: A relationship between two variables in which one variable is a constant multiple of the other.
distributive property: The property defined by a(b + c) = ab + ac.
dodecagon: A polygon with twelve sides.
domain: The set of the first elements in a relation.
double root: The solution of a quadratic equation where both roots are the same.
dynamic geometry software: Computer software that allows the user to plot points on a coordinate system, measure line segments and angles, construct two-dimensional shapes, create two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects, and transform constructed figures by moving parts of them.

E

elements: The individual members of a set.
enlargement: A dilatation in which the image after the dilatation is larger than the original image, that is, k>1.
equation: An open sentence formed by two expressions related by an equal sign.
2x − 7 = 3x + 2 is an equation.
equilateral triangle: A triangle with all sides equal.
equivalent equations: Equations that have the same graph or solution.
equivalent expressions: Algebraic expresssions that are equal for all values of the variable.
7a − 4a and 3a are equivalent expressions.
equivalent ratios: Ratios such as 1:3, 2:6, and 3:9 that represent the same fractional number or amount.
equivalent systems: Systems of equations that have the same solution.
evaluate: To determine a value for.
exponent: The use of a raised number to denote repeated multiplication of a base. In 3x⁴, the exponent is 4, and 3x⁴ means 3×x×x×x×x.
exponential form: A shorthand method for writing numbers expressed as repeated multiplications.
3⁴ is the exponential form for 3×3×3×3 or 81.
exponential notation: The notation used by calculators to display numbers that are too large or too small to fit onto the screen of the calculator. For example, the number 135 000 000 000 might appear as “1.35 11” on a calculator screen. The number 11, to the right of the expression, indicates the number of places that the decimal point should be moved to express the number in standard form.
expression: A mathematical phrase made up of numbers and variables, connected by operators.
exterior angle: An angle contained between one side of a polygon and an extension of an adjacent side.
extrapolate: Estimate values lying outside the range of given data. To extrapolate from a graph means to estimate coordinates of points beyond those that are plotted.

F

factor

A number that is multiplied by another number to give a prodcut.
3 is a factor of 18.

factoring over the integers

In factoring polynomials with integer coefficients, finding factors with integer coefficients.

family of lines

Lines that share a common characteristic. For example, the family may have the same slope or the same y-intercept.

Fermi problem

A rich estimation problem that requires the solver to make assumptions in order to solve the problem, and to check the reasonableness of the solution.

finite differences

Differences between the y-values in tables with evenly spaced x-values.

first differences

Differences between consecutive y-values in tables with evenly spaced x-coordinates. In a linear relation, the first differences are constant. For example:

x	y	First Difference
1	3	5 − 3 = 2
2	5	5 − 3 = 2
3	7	7 − 5 = 2
4	9	9 − 7 = 2
5	11	11 − 9 = 2

first-degree equation

An equation in which the variable has the exponent 1.
3(2x + 1) + 5 = 7x − 6 is a first-degree equation.

first-degree inequality

An inequality in which the variable has the exponent 1.
3x + 5≥2x − 4 is a first-degree inequality.

first-degree polynomial

A polynomial in which the variable has the exponent 1.
6x + 5 is a first-degree polynomial.

FOIL

An aid in multiplying binomials where F refers to the product of the first terms, O, to the product of the outside terms, I, to the product of the inside terms, and L, to the product of the last terms.

function

A relation in which, for each element in the domain, there is a single corresponding element in the range.

G

generalize: Determine a general rule or conclusion from examples. Specifically, determine a general rule to represent a pattern or relationship between variables.
golden rectangle: A rectangle in which the ratio of length to width is the golden ratio, Φ.
graphing software: Computer software that provides features similar to those of a graphing calculator.
greatest common factor (GCF): The monomial with the greatest numerical coefficient and greatest degree of the variables that is a factor of two or more terms.
The GCF of 12ab and 8bc is 4b.

H

Heron’s formula: A formula that can be used to calculate the area, A, of a triangle based on the lengths of the sides a, b, and c, and half the perimeter, s. A = √s(s − a)(s − b)(s − c)
hexagon: A polygon with six sides.
hypotenuse: The side opposite the right angle in a right triangle.

I

incentre: The point at which the three angle bisectors of a triangle meet.
incircle of a triangle: A circle, drawn inside a triangle, with centre at the incentre and radius, the perpendicular distance from the incentre to any side of the triangle.
independent variable: In a function, the variable whose value determines that of the dependent variable. On a coordinate grid, the values of the independent variable are on the horizontal axis.
integer: A member of the set {…, −3, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 3, …}.
intercept: The distance from the origin of the xy-plane to the point at which a line or curve crosses a given axis.
interest: Money that is paid for the use of money, usually according to a predetermined percent.
interior angle: An angle that is inside a polygon.
interpolate: To estimate values lying between elements of given data. To interpolate from a graph means to estimate coordinates of points between those that are plotted.
irrational number: A number that cannot be written as the ratio of two integers.
√2, √3, and π are irrational numbers.
isometric view: A two-dimensional representation of an object, showing the corner view.
isosceles trapezoid: A trapezoid in which the non-parallel sides are equal in length.
isosceles triangle: A triangle with two equal sides.

K

kite: A quadrilateral with two pairs of adjacent sides of equal lengths.

L

lateral area: The area of the curved surface of a cone or cylinder. The sum of the areas of the lateral faces of a prism or pyramid.
lateral edge: The edge of a prism where two lateral faces meet.
lateral faces: The faces of a prism or pyramid that are not bases.
length of a line segment: For a line segment with endpoints (x₁, y₁) and (x₂, y₂), √(x₂ − x₁)² + (y₂ − y₁)².
length of the period (of a decimal): The number of digits that repeat in a repeating decimal.
The length of the period of 0.27 is 2.
like terms: Terms that have exactly the same variable(s) raised to exactly the same exponent(s).
3x², -x², and 7x² are like terms.
line of symmetry: A mirror line that reflects an object onto itself.
line segment: Two points on a line and the points between them.
linear equation: An equation in which each term is either a constant or has degree 1.
y = 7x − 2 is a linear equation.
linear relation: The relation between two values whose graph is or approximates a straight line.
lowest common denominator (LCD): The least common multiple of the denominators of two or more rational expressions.

M

mass: A measure of the quantity of matter in an object, measured in milligrams, grams, kilograms, or tonnes.
mathematical model: A mathematical description of a real situation. The description may include a diagram, a graph, a table of values, an equation, a formula, a physical model, or a computer model.
mathematical modelling: The process of describing a real situation in a mathematical form. See also mathematical model.
mean: The sum of a set of numbers divided by the number of numbers in the set.
median: The middle number when data are arranged in numerical order.
median of a triangle: A line segment that joins a vertex of a triangle to the midpoint of the opposite side.
mode: The number that occurs most often in a set of numbers.
monomial: A number, a variable, or a product of numbers and variables.
8, x, -y², and 3mn are monomials.
multiplication property of equality: Multiplying both sides of an equation by the same quantity produces an equivalent equation. For any numbers a, b, and c, if a = b, then ac = bc.

N

natural number: The set of numbers {1, 2, 3, 4, …}.
net: A pattern for constructing a three-dimensional object.
non-linear relation: A relation whose graph is not a straight line.
numerical coefficient: The number part of a monomial.
The numerical coefficient of 3m²n is 3.

O

oblique triangle: A triangle that is not right-angled.
obtuse angle: An angle that measures more than 90° but less than 180°.
obtuse triangle: A triangle with one obtuse angle.
octagon: A polygon with eight sides.
ordered pair: A pair of numbers used to name a point on a graph, such as (−5, 3).
origin: The intersection of the horizontal axis and the vertical axis on a Cartesian coordinate grid, described by the ordered pair (0, 0).
orthocentre: The point of intersection of the three altitudes of a triangle.

P

palindrome: A number or word that reads the same forward and backward, such as 232.
parabola: The graph of a quadratic function whose domain is the set of real numbers.
parallel lines: Two lines in the same plane that do not intersect.
parallelogram: A quadrilateral with opposite sides parallel.
pentagon: A polygon with five sides.
percent: A fraction (or ratio) in which the denominator is 100.
perfect square: A number found by squaring an integer.
perfect square trinomial: A trinomial that can be factored as the square of a binomial.
a²x² + 2abx + b² = (ax + b)², where a, b≠0.
perimeter: The distance around a polygon.
period (of a decimal): The digits that repeat in a repeating decimal.
The period of 0.27 is 27.
perpendicular lines: Two lines that intersect at 90°.
Platonic solids: The five regular polyhedra: cube, regular tetrahedron, regular octahedron, regular dodecahedron, regular icosahedron
point of intersection: The point that is common to two non-parallel lines.
point-slope form of a linear equation: For a line with a point (x₁, y₁), and slope m, the equation y − y₁ = m(x − x₁).
polygon: Closed figure formed by line segments.
polyhedron: A three-dimensional object with faces that are polygons.
power: A product obtained by using a base as a factor one or more times.
5³ is a power.
principal square root: The positive square root of a number.
prism: A three-dimensional figure with two parallel, congruent polygonal bases. A prism is named by the shape of its bases, for example, rectangular prism, triangular prism.
proportion: An equation that states that two ratios are equal.
proportional reasoning: Reasoning or problem solving based on the examination of equal ratios.
pyramid: A polyhedron with one base in the shape of a polygon and three or more triangular faces.
Pythagorean theorem: The relation that expresses the area of the square drawn on the hypotenuse of a right triangle as equal to the sum of the areas of the squares drawn on the other two sides.

Q

quadrant

One of the four regions formed by the intersection of the x-axis and the y-axis.

Second Quadrant	First Quadrant
Third Quadrant	Fourth Quadrant

quadratic equation

An equation in the form ax + bx + c = 0, where a, b, and c are real numbers and a≠0.

quadratic function

A function defined by a quadratic equation of the form y = ax² + bx + c.

quadrilateral

A polygon with four sides.

R

radical sign: The symbol √.
random number: A number chosen from a set of numbers in such a way that each number has an equally-likely chance of being selected.
range of a relation: The set of all the second coordinates of the ordered pairs in a relation.
rate: A ratio of two measurements having different units.
100 km/h is a rate.
ratio: A comparison of two numbers.
7:5 is a ratio.
rational number: A number that can be expressed as the quotient of two integers where the divisor is not zero.
ray: Part of a line extending in one direction without end.
real numbers: The set of all terminating decimals, all repeating decimals, and all non-terminating, non-repeating decimals.
rectangle: A parallelogram with four right angles.
rectangular solid: A solid whose bases are congruent rectangles.
reduction: A dilatation in which the image after the dilatation is smaller than the original image, that is, 0<k<1.
reflection: A transformation that maps an object onto an image by a reflection in a line.
reflection image: The image of a plane figure after a reflection.
reflex angle: An angle that measures more than 180° but less than 360°.
regression: A method for determining the equation of a curve (not necessarily a straight line) that fits the distribution of points on a scatter plot.
regular polygon: A polygon with all sides equal and all angles equal.
regular pyramid: A polyhedron with a regular polygon as its base and lateral faces that are congruent triangles.
relation: A set of ordered pairs.
repeating decimal: A decimal in which one or more of the digits repeat without end.
rhombus: A parallelogram in which the lengths of all four sides are equal.
right angle: An angle that measures 90°.
right bisector of a line segment: A line that is perpendicular to a line segment and divides the line segment into two equal parts.
right cone: A cone in which the line segment joining the centre of the base to the vertex is perpendicualr[sic] to the base.
right cylinder: A cylinder in which the line segment joining the centres of the bases is perpendicular to the bases.
right prism: A three-dimensional figure with two parallel, congruent polygonal bases and lateral faces that are perpendicular to the bases.
right triangle: A triangle containing a 90° angle.
rise: The vertical distance between two points.
roots: The solutions of an equation.
run: The horizontal distance between two points.

S

scale factor

The factor by which the coordinates of the points of a figure are multiplied to give the coordinates of the points on its dilatation image.

scalene triangle

A triangle with no sides equal.

scientific notation

Expressing a number as the product of a number, n, where 1≤n≤10, and a power of ten.
2700 = 2.7×10³

scientific probe

A device that can be attached to a graphing calculator or to a computer in order to gather data involving measurement such as position, temperature, or force.

second-degree polynomial

A polynomial in at least one term of which the variable has the exponent 2, and no term has the exponent of the variable greater than 2.
x² + 5x + 7 is a second-degree polynomial.

second differences

The differences between consecutive first differences. In a quadratic function, the second differences are constant. For example:

x	y	First Difference	Second Difference
1	2	5 − 2 = 3	5 − 2 = 3
2	5	5 − 2 = 3	5 − 2 = 3
3	10	10 − 5 = 5	7 − 5 = 2
4	17	17 − 10 = 7	9 − 7 = 2
5	26	26 − 17 = 9	9 − 7 = 2

sector

A part of a circle bounded by two radii and an arc of the circumference.

sense

The orientation of a plane figure.

sequence

An ordered list of numbers.

similar

The relation of plane figures that have the same shape but not necessarily the same size.

simplest form of an algebraic expression

An expression with no like terms. For example,
2x + 7 is in simplest form.
5x + 1 + 6 − 3x is not in simplest form.

sine law

The relationship between the sides and their opposite angles in any triangle.

sine ratio

In a right triangle, for acute angle θ, the ratio of the length of the side opposite ∠θ and the length of the hypotenuse.

slant height (of a cone)

The distance from the vertex to a point on the edge of the base.

slant height (of a pyramid

The height of each triangular face.

slope and y-intercept form of a linear equation

The equation for the line through (x₁, y₁) with slope m and y-intercept b is given by y = mx + b.

solving a triangle

Finding the values of all the unknown sides and unknown angles of a triangle.

spreadsheet

A table used to manage data, including performing calculations with the data.

square

A quadrilaterial with four congruent sides and four right angles.

square root of a number

A number that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number.

straight angle

An angle that measures 180°.

subtraction property of equality

Subtracting the same quantity from both sides of an equation produces an equivalent equation. For any numbers a, b, and c, if a = b, then a − c = b − c.

supplementary angles

Angles whose sum is 180°.

surface area

The number of square units needed to cover the surface of a three-dimensional object.

system of equations

Two or more equations studied together.
x + y = 3 and 3x − y = 1 is a system of equations.

symmetry

A quality of a plane figure that can be folded along a fold line so that the halves of the figure match exactly.

T

table of values

A table used to record the coordinates of points in a relation. For example,
y = 2x + 1

x	y
−1	−1
0	1
1	3
2	5

tangent ratio

In a right triangle, for acute angle θ, the ratio of the length of the side opposite ∠θ and the length of the adjacent side.

term

A number or a variable, or the product or quotient of numbers and variables.
The expression x² + 5x has two terms: x² and 5x.

terminating decimal

A decimal whose digits terminate.

tetromino

A polygon formed by joining three identical squares along whole sides.

transformation

A mapping of points on a plane onto points on the same plane.

translation

A slide transformation.

translation image

The image of a plane figure after a translation.

transversal

A line that crosses or intersects two or more lines.

trapezoid

A quadrilaterial with one pair of parallel sides.

triangle

A polygon with three sides.

triangular pyramid

A polyhedron with a triangular base and three triangular lateral faces.

trigonometric ratio

The ratio of the lengths of two sides in a right triangle.

trigonometry

The branch of mathematics concerned with the measurement properties of triangles.

trinomial

A polynomial with three terms.
x² + 3x − 1 is a trinomial.

U

unit price: The cost for one item, or for one unit of measurement.
unit rate: A comparison of two numbers in which the second term is 1, such as 3 m/s.
unlike terms: Terms that have different variables, or the same variable but different exponents.
3x, 5y, -x², and 2ab are unlike terms.

U

variable: A letter or symbol used to represent a number, such as x.
vertex: A point at which two sides of a polygon meet.
vertex of a parabola: The point of the parabola at which the graph intersects the axis of symmetry.
vertical line test: A test for determining whether a given graph represents a function. If any vertical line intersects the graph in more than one point, then the relation is not a function.
volume: The amount of space that an object occupies, measure in cubic units.

W

whole number: A number in the set {0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, …}.

X

x-axis: The horizontal number line in the Cartesian coordinate system.
x-coordinate: The first value in an ordered pair.
For the point P(4, 7), 4 is the x-coordinate.
x-intercept: The x-coordinate of the point where a line or curve crosses the x-axis.

Y

y-axis: The vertical line used as a scale for the dependent variable in the Cartesian coordinate system.
y-coordinate: The second value in an ordered pair.
For the point A(5, −2), −2 is the y-coordinate.
y-intercept: The y-coordinate of the point where a line or curve crosses the y-axis.

Z

zero of a function: Any value of x for which the value of the function f(x) is 0.
zero product property: The property that, if the product of two real numbers is zero, then one or both of the numbers must be zero.