tan
gent
Plural
tangents
1
a straight line that touches a curve or surface at exactly one point, known as the point of tangency
- In geometry class, we learned how to draw a tangent to a circle, ensuring it only touched the circle at a single point.
- The artist's sketch showed a spiral with multiple tangent lines, illustrating the various points of contact.
2
(mathematics) the ratio of the opposite to the adjacent side of a triangle that has one angle of 90°
- If the tangent of an angle is 1, it means the height and base of our triangle are the same.
- When the sun is setting, you can use the tangent to figure out the angle the sun makes with the horizon.