secant
[ see-kant, -kuhnt ]
/ ˈsi kænt, -kənt /
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noun
Geometry. an intersecting line, especially one intersecting a curve at two or more points.
Trigonometry.
- (in a right triangle) the ratio of the hypotenuse to the side adjacent to a given angle.
- (originally) a line from the center of a circle through one extremity of an arc to the tangent from the other extremity.
- the ratio of the length of this line to that of the radius of the circle; the reciprocal of the cosine of a given angle or arc. Abbreviation: sec
adjective
cutting or intersecting, as one line or surface in relation to another.
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Origin of secant
OTHER WORDS FROM secant
se·cant·ly, adverbWords nearby secant
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for secant
British Dictionary definitions for secant
secant
/ (ˈsiːkənt) /
noun
(of an angle) a trigonometric function that in a right-angled triangle is the ratio of the length of the hypotenuse to that of the adjacent side; the reciprocal of cosineAbbreviation: sec
a line that intersects a curve
Derived forms of secant
secantly, adverbWord Origin for secant
C16: from Latin secāre to cut
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Scientific definitions for secant
secant
[ sē′kănt′ ]
A straight line or ray that intersects a curve, especially a circle, at two or more points.
The ratio of the length of the hypotenuse in a right triangle to the side adjacent to an acute angle. The secant is the inverse of the cosine.
The reciprocal of the abscissa of the endpoint of an arc of a unit circle centered at the origin of a Cartesian coordinate system, the arc being of length x and measured counterclockwise from the point (1, 0) if x is positive or clockwise if x is negative.
A function of a number x, equal to the secant of an angle whose measure in radians is equal to x.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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