secant

[ see-kant, -kuhnt ]

/ ˈsi kænt, -kənt /

Save This Word!

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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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.