tangent

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Pronunciation

• enPR: tăn'jənt, IPA: /ˈtæn.dʒənt/

Noun

tangent (plural tangents)

1. (differential geometry) A straight line touching a curve at a single point without crossing it there.
2. (math) A function of an angle that gives the ratio of the sine to the cosine, in either the real or complex number. Symbols: tan, tg.
3. 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 22^nd 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.

4. (music) A small metal blade in a clavichord that strikes the strings to produce sound.

Synonyms

• (straight line) tangent line

Related terms

• tangential

Translations

• French: tangente
• German: Tangente
• Portuguese: tangente
• Russian: каса́тельная
• Spanish: tangente

Translations

• French: tangente
• German: Tangens
• Portuguese: tangente
• Russian: та́нгенс
• Spanish: tangente

Translations

• German: Nebensache
• Russian: смежная тема

Adjective

tangent (not comparable)

1. (geometry) Touching a curve at a single point but not crossing it at that point.
2. Of a topic, only loosely related to a main topic.

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