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

1585–95; <Latin secant- (stem of secāns, present participle of secāre to cut), equivalent to sec- verb stem (see saw¹) + -ant--ant

OTHER WORDS FROM secant

se·cant·ly, adverb

Words nearby secant

SEbS, sebum, sec, sec-1, SECAM, secant, secateurs, Secaucus, Secchi, Secchi depth, Secchi disk

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use secant in a sentence

On any secant of an hyperbola the segments between the curve and the asymptotes are equal.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 6|Various
The fraction Δy/Δx is the trigonometrical tangent of the angle which the secant PP′ makes with the axis of x.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 5|Various
If the curve has a tangent at P the secant PP′ approaches a limiting position (see 33 below).
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 5|Various
There is no necessary connexion between a conical projection and any touching or secant cone.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 6|Various

I say they are equall in the alterne angles of the secant and touch line oey, and oeu.
The Way To Geometry|Peter Ramus

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, adverb

Word 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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.