tangent — a straight line that touches a curve at exactly one point
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a straight line that touches a curve at exactly one point
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈtændʒənt/
Example Sentences
- During the math exam, I forgot how to find the tangent, so I went off on a mental tangent about pizza instead.
- The professor started explaining calculus but went off on a tangent about his cat for 20 minutes.
- In geometry, we learned that a tangent touches a circle at exactly one point.
tangent
NOUN[/ˈtændʒənt/]
a straight line that touches a curve at exactly one point
Line touching curve at one point
The agent draws a perfect tangent!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin 'tangere' meaning 'to touch,' the term was originally used in mathematics to describe a straight line that touches a curve at a single point. The word later extended to common usage, meaning 'to deviate slightly from a topic or subject.'
Breakdown
tangent < Latin tangere (to touch) + -ent (adjective suffix forming agent nouns or descriptive terms)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“During the math exam, I forgot how to find the tangent, so I went off on a mental tangent about pizza instead.”
“The professor started explaining calculus but went off on a tangent about his cat for 20 minutes.”
“In geometry, we learned that a tangent touches a circle at exactly one point.”
“Sorry, I know this is tangent to our discussion, but did you see that funny movie last night?”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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