WordReference.com English Dictionary

Look up:  

See Also:
tan
tanager
Tánaiste
tanbark
tandem
tandoor
tandoori
tang
tanga
tangelo
tangent
tangential
tangerine
tangible
tangle
tango
tangram
tangy
tanh
tania
tank
 
Links:
Recent searches:
  • View All

Try out WordReference Random Word! Each page load will return a random word from the dictionary. Or test your knowledge and have each page load with the definition hidden!


tangent:
in Spanish | in French | in Italian
English synonyms| in context | images

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
tangent /ˈtan(d)ʒ(ə)nt/
▶noun
  • 1 a straight line or plane that touches a curve or curved surface at a point, but if extended does not cross it at that point.
  • 2 Mathematics the trigonometric function that is equal to the ratio of the sides (other than the hypotenuse) opposite and adjacent to an angle in a right-angled triangle.
  • 3 a completely different line of thought or action: my mind went off at a tangent.
▶adjective (of a line or plane) touching, but not intersecting, a curve or curved surface.
– derivatives
tangency noun.
– origin C16: from L. tangent-, tangere ‘touch’.



'tangent' also found in these Oxford entries:
Forum discussions with the word(s) "tangent" in the title:
acid tangent or acidic tangent
Girls are often going off on a tangent but boys come or go straight to the point
I keep going off on another tangent
running on a tangent
tangent

Look up "tangent" at Merriam-Webster
Look up "tangent" at dictionary.com

In other languages: Spanish | French | Italian | Portuguese | German | Russian | Polish | Romanian | Czech | Greek | Turkish | Chinese | Japanese | Korean | Arabic



Let Google and FB know that you like WR!


Android Market iPhone app store


Report an inappropriate ad.

Copyright © 2012 WordReference.com
Please report any problems.