Definition of tangent

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Tangent (a.) meeting a curve or surface at a point and having at that point the same direction as the curve or surface; -- said of a straight line, curve, or surface; as, a line tangent to a curve; a curve tangent to a surface; tangent surfaces..

Lern More About Tangent

Cotangent :: Cotangent (n.) The tangent of the complement of an arc or angle. See Illust. of Functions.
Tangential :: Tangential (a.) Of or pertaining to a tangent; in the direction of a tangent.
Indicatrix :: Indicatrix (n.) A certain conic section supposed to be drawn in the tangent plane to any surface, and used to determine the accidents of curvature of the surface at the point of contact. The curve is similar to the intersection of the surface with a parallel to the tangent plane and indefinitely near it. It is an ellipse when the curvature is synclastic, and an hyperbola when the curvature is anticlastic..
Polar :: Polar (n.) The right line drawn through the two points of contact of the two tangents drawn from a given point to a given conic section. The given point is called the pole of the line. If the given point lies within the curve so that the two tangents become imaginary, there is still a real polar line which does not meet the curve, but which possesses other properties of the polar. Thus the focus and directrix are pole and polar. There are also poles and polar curves to curves of higher degree th
Lemniscate :: Lemniscate (n.) A curve in the form of the figure 8, with both parts symmetrical, generated by the point in which a tangent to an equilateral hyperbola meets the perpendicular on it drawn from the center..
Horizon :: Horizon (n.) A plane passing through the eye of the spectator and at right angles to the vertical at a given place; a plane tangent to the earth's surface at that place; called distinctively the sensible horizon.
Tangent :: Tangent (a.) Touching; touching at a single poin.
Sector :: Sector (n.) A mathematical instrument, consisting of two rulers connected at one end by a joint, each arm marked with several scales, as of equal parts, chords, sines, tangents, etc., one scale of each kind on each arm, and all on lines radiating from the common center of motion. The sector is used for plotting, etc., to any scale..
Touch :: Touch (v. t.) To be tangent to. See Tangent, a..
Semitangent :: Semitangent (n.) The tangent of half an arc.
Secant :: Secant (a.) A right line drawn from the center of a circle through one end of a circular arc, and terminated by a tangent drawn from the other end; the number expressing the ratio line of this line to the radius of the circle. See Trigonometrical function, under Function..
Level :: Level (n.) A horizontal line or plane; that is, a straight line or a plane which is tangent to a true level at a given point and hence parallel to the horizon at that point; -- this is the apparent level at the given point..
Curvature :: Curvature (n.) The amount of degree of bending of a mathematical curve, or the tendency at any point to depart from a tangent drawn to the curve at that point..
Tangent :: Tangent (v. t.) A tangent line curve, or surface; specifically, that portion of the straight line tangent to a curve that is between the point of tangency and a given line, the given line being, for example, the axis of abscissas, or a radius of a circle produced. See Trigonometrical function, under Function..
Subtartarean :: Subtangent (n.) The part of the axis contained between the ordinate and tangent drawn to the same point in a curve.
Envelop :: Envelop (n.) A curve or surface which is tangent to each member of a system of curves or surfaces, the form and position of the members of the system being allowed to vary according to some continuous law. Thus, any curve is the envelope of its tangents..
Helix :: Helix (n.) A nonplane curve whose tangents are all equally inclined to a given plane. The common helix is the curve formed by the thread of the ordinary screw. It is distinguished from the spiral, all the convolutions of which are in the plane..
Mesologarithm :: Mesologarithm (n.) A logarithm of the cosine or cotangent.
Bitangent :: Bitangent (a.) Possessing the property of touching at two points.
Stress :: Stress (n.) The force, or combination of forces, which produces a strain; force exerted in any direction or manner between contiguous bodies, or parts of bodies, and taking specific names according to its direction, or mode of action, as thrust or pressure, pull or tension, shear or tangential stress..
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