tangentnoun [ C ]
uk/ˈtæn.dʒənt/us/ˈtæn.dʒənt/specializedtangent noun [ C ] (CIRCLE)
a straight line that touches but does not cut into a curve
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Geometry: describing angles, lines & orientations
- alternate angle
- angle of incidence
- antinode
- asymptote
- asymptotic
- axial
- corresponding angle
- erect
- horizontal
- oblique
- parallel
- plumb
- prominent
- reflection
- right angle
- secant
- slant
- supplementary angle
- tangential
- transversal
See more results »
tangent noun [ C ] (TRIANGLE)
written abbreviation tan (in a triangle that has one angle of 90°) the ratio of the length of the side opposite an angle less than 90° divided by the length of the shorter of the two sides that are next to the angle
Compare
cosine
sine
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Geometry: describing angles, lines & orientations
- alternate angle
- angle of incidence
- antinode
- asymptote
- asymptotic
- axial
- corresponding angle
- erect
- horizontal
- oblique
- parallel
- plumb
- prominent
- reflection
- right angle
- secant
- slant
- supplementary angle
- tangential
- transversal
See more results »
Idiom(s)
go off on a tangent