trigonometric function

American  

noun

Mathematics.

1. Also called circular function.  a function of an angle, as sine or cosine, expressed as the ratio of the sides of a right triangle.

2. any function involving only trigonometric functions and constants.

3. the generalization of these to functions of real or complex numbers.

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trigonometric function British  

noun

1. Also called: circular function.  any of a group of functions of an angle expressed as a ratio of two of the sides of a right-angled triangle containing the angle. The group includes sine, cosine, tangent, secant, cosecant, and cotangent

2. any function containing only sines, cosines, etc, and constants

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trigonometric function Scientific  

/ trĭg′ə-nə-mĕt′rĭk /

1. A function of an angle, as the sine, cosine, or tangent, whose value is expressed as a ratio of two of the sides of the right triangle that contains the angle.

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Etymology

Origin of trigonometric function

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trigonometric function

For the following exercises, use Figure 1 to evaluate each trigonometric function.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015

For the following exercises, match each trigonometric function with one of the following graphs.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015

We can test whether a trigonometric function is even or odd by drawing a unit circle with a positive and a negative angle, as in Figure 7.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015

When evaluating the composition of a trigonometric function with an inverse trigonometric function, draw a reference triangle to assist in determining the ratio of sides that represents the output of the trigonometric function.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 13, 2015

“That last trigonometric function wasn’t as easy as it looked.”

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali