Adjacent Words

Tangent definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

TAN'GENT, n. [L. tangens, touching. See Touch.]
In geometry, a right line which touches a curve, but which when produced, does not cut it. In trigonometry, the tangent of an arc, is a right line touching the arc at one extremity, and terminated by a second passing through the other extremity.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a straight line or plane that touches a curve or curved surface at a point but does not intersect it at that point
2: ratio of the opposite to the adjacent side of a right-angled triangle [syn: tangent, tan]

Merriam Webster's

I. adjective Etymology: Latin tangent-, tangens, present participle of tangere to touch; perhaps akin to Old English thaccian to touch gently, stroke Date: 1594 1. a. meeting a curve or surface in a single point if a sufficiently small interval is considered <straight line tangent to a curve> b. (1) having a common tangent line at a point <tangent curves> (2) having a common tangent plane at a point <tangent surfaces> 2. diverging from an original purpose or course ; irrelevant <tangent remarks> II. noun Etymology: New Latin tangent-, tangens, from linea tangens tangent line Date: 1594 1. a. the trigonometric function that for an acute angle is the ratio between the leg opposite to the angle when it is considered part of a right triangle and the leg adjacent b. a trigonometric function that is equal to the sine divided by the cosine for all real numbers ? for which the cosine is not equal to zero and is exactly equal to the tangent of an angle of measure ? in radians 2. a line that is tangent; specifically a straight line that is the limiting position of a secant of a curve through a fixed point and a variable point on the curve as the variable point approaches the fixed point 3. an abrupt change of course ; digression <the speaker went off on a tangent> 4. a small upright flat-ended metal pin at the inner end of a clavichord key that strikes the string to produce the tone

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & adj. --n. 1 a straight line, curve, or surface that meets another curve or curved surface at a point, but if extended does not intersect it at that point. 2 the ratio of the sides opposite and adjacent to an angle in a right-angled triangle. --adj. 1 (of a line or surface) that is a tangent. 2 touching. Phrases and idioms: at a tangent diverging from a previous course of action or thought etc. (go off at a tangent). tangent galvanometer a galvanometer with a coil through which the current to be measured is passed, its strength being proportional to the tangent of the angle of deflection. Derivatives: tangency n. Etymology: L tangere tangent- touch

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tangent Tan"gent, n. [L. tangens, -entis, p. pr. of tangere to touch; akin to Gr. ? having seized: cf. F. tangente. Cf. Attain, Contaminate, Contingent, Entire, Tact, Taste, Tax, v. t.] (Geom.) A tangent line curve, or surface; specifically, that portion of the straight line tangent to a curve that is between the point of tangency and a given line, the given line being, for example, the axis of abscissas, or a radius of a circle produced. See Trigonometrical function, under Function. Artificial, or Logarithmic, tangent, the logarithm of the natural tangent of an arc. Natural tangent, a decimal expressing the length of the tangent of an arc, the radius being reckoned unity. Tangent galvanometer (Elec.), a form of galvanometer having a circular coil and a short needle, in which the tangent of the angle of deflection of the needle is proportional to the strength of the current. Tangent of an angle, the natural tangent of the arc subtending or measuring the angle. Tangent of an arc, a right line, as ta, touching the arc of a circle at one extremity a, and terminated by a line ct, passing from the center through the other extremity o.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tangent Tan"gent, n. [L. tangens, -entis, p. pr. of tangere to touch; akin to Gr. ? having seized: cf. F. tangente. Cf. Attain, Contaminate, Contingent, Entire, Tact, Taste, Tax, v. t.] (Geom.) A tangent line curve, or surface; specifically, that portion of the straight line tangent to a curve that is between the point of tangency and a given line, the given line being, for example, the axis of abscissas, or a radius of a circle produced. See Trigonometrical function, under Function. Artificial, or Logarithmic, tangent, the logarithm of the natural tangent of an arc. Natural tangent, a decimal expressing the length of the tangent of an arc, the radius being reckoned unity. Tangent galvanometer (Elec.), a form of galvanometer having a circular coil and a short needle, in which the tangent of the angle of deflection of the needle is proportional to the strength of the current. Tangent of an angle, the natural tangent of the arc subtending or measuring the angle. Tangent of an arc, a right line, as ta, touching the arc of a circle at one extremity a, and terminated by a line ct, passing from the center through the other extremity o.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Tangent Tan"gent, a. [L. tangens, -entis, p. pr.] Touching; touching at a single point; specifically (Geom.) meeting a curve or surface at a point and having at that point the same direction as the curve or surface; -- said of a straight line, curve, or surface; as, a line tangent to a curve; a curve tangent to a surface; tangent surfaces. Tangent plane (Geom.), a plane which touches a surface in a point or line. Tangent scale (Gun.), a kind of breech sight for a cannon. Tangent screw (Mach.), an endless screw; a worm.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(tangents) 1. A tangent is a line that touches the edge of a curve or circle at one point, but does not cross it. N-COUNT 2. If someone goes off at a tangent, they start saying or doing something that is not directly connected with what they were saying or doing before. The conversation went off at a tangent. PHRASE: V and N inflect

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Touching.

Moby Thesaurus

abutter, adjoiner, air line, approach, asymptote, axis, beeline, borderer, bottleneck, bystander, chord, collision course, concentralization, concentration, concourse, concurrence, confluence, conflux, congress, convergence, converging, crossing, diagonal, diameter, direct line, directrix, edge, focalization, focus, funnel, great-circle course, hub, immediate neighbor, looker-on, meeting, mutual approach, narrowing gap, neighbor, neighborer, normal, onlooker, perpendicular, radius, radius vector, right line, secant, segment, shortcut, side, spokes, straight, straight course, straight line, straight stretch, straightaway, streamline, transversal, vector