subtend

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /sʌbˈtɛnd/
• Rhymes: -ɛnd

Etymology

Latin subtendere; sub under + tendere to stretch, extend. See tend.

Verb

subtend (third-person singular simple present subtends, present participle subtending, simple past and past participle subtended)

1. (transitive) To extend or stretch underneath or opposite something
   • 2012, Me, myself, us,The Economist, 16th august 2012 issue

     ...trillions of bacteria, each equally an individual, which are found in a person’s gut, his mouth, his scalp, his skin and all of the crevices and orifices that subtend from his body’s surface.

2. (mathematics) To enclose an arc on a circle with an angle

   A 43° angle subtends an arc about ¾ meter long on a circle with a radius of 1 meter.

Translations

to stretch underneath something

• French: sous-tendre (fr)

• Italian: sottendere (it)

to enclose an arc

• Russian: стягивать (ru) (stjágivatʼ) n