tangent
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Pronunciation
- IPA: /'tæn.dʒənt/
[edit] Etymology
From Latin tangentem, the accusative of tangēns (“‘touching’”) the present participle of the verb tangō (“‘to touch’”). From the the phrase līnea tangēns (“‘a touching line’”).
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
tangent (plural tangents)
- (geometry) A straight line touching a curve at a single point without crossing it there.
- (trigonometry) In a right triangle, the ratio of the length of the side opposite the angle to the length of the side adjacent to the angle. Symbols: tan, tg
- A topic nearly unrelated to the main topic, but having a point in common with it.
- I believe we went off onto a tangent when we started talking about monkeys on unicycles at his retirement party.
- 2009: Stuart Heritage, Hecklerspray, Friday the 22nd of May in 2009 at 1 o’clock p.m., “Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About”
- Jon & Kate Plus 8 is a show based on two facts: 1) Jon and Kate Gosselin have eight children, and 2) the word ‘Kate’ rhymes with the word ‘eight’. One suspects that if Kate were ever to have another child, a shady network executive would urge her to put it in a binbag with a brick and drop it down a well. But this is just a horrifying tangent.
- A small metal blade by which a clavichord produces sound.
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Related terms
[edit] Translations
in geometry
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in trigonometry
nearly unrelated topic
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
[edit] Adjective
tangent (not comparable)
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Positive |
Superlative |
- (geometry) Touching a curve at a single point but not crossing it at that point.
- Of a topic, only loosely related to a main topic.
[edit] See also
[edit] Swedish
[edit] Noun
tangent
- key (button on a typewriter or computer keyboard)
[edit] Derived terms
This Swedish entry was created from the translations listed at key. It may be less reliable than other entries, and may be missing parts of speech or additional senses. Please also see tangent in the Swedish Wiktionary. This notice will be removed when the entry is checked. (more information) April 2008
