tangents

Noun

tangent (plural tangents)

1. (differential geometry) A straight line touching a curve at a single point without crossing it there.
   • One feature of the body, which is constructed of pressed-steel members, is the contour of the sides. They are in the form of a continuous radius from the bottom side to the cant rail, and to enable flat glass windows to be fitted the side panels are pressed around the window opening, forming a...1951 May, “British Railways Standard Coaches”, in Railway Magazine, page 327

   Synonyms:

   tangent line

2. A function of an angle that gives the ratio of the sine to the cosine, in either the real or complex numbers. Symbols: tan, tg.
3. (transferred sense) A course suddenly and unexpectedly divergent from one which was previously being followed (especially one embarked on before reaching the end of the previous course).
   1. (transferred sense) A new topic of discussion unrelated to the one which came before it, arrived at due to a single (peripheral or trivial) point in common with it.
      • I believe we went off onto a tangent when we started talking about monkeys on unicycles at his retirement party.
4. A visual interaction between two or more lines or edges that creates a perceived relationship between them, often in a way that the artist did not intend.
5. A small metal blade in a clavichord that strikes the strings to produce sound.

See all 10 meanings of tangent