noun
- a straight line that touches a curve at exactly one point
- a completely different line of thought or action
- the trigonometric function that equals the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side in a right triangle
Usage: mathematics
Usage: mathematics
adjective
- touching at a single point
Usage: mathematics
Examples
- The tangent to the circle passes through point A.
- She went off on a tangent about her vacation plans.
- Calculate the tangent of a 45-degree angle.
- The professor’s lecture went on a tangent about ancient history.
- Draw a tangent line to the curve at x equals 2.
- His thoughts went off on a tangent during the meeting.
- The tangent of 30 degrees is approximately 0.577.