se·cant (s  k nt , -k nt)n. Abbr. sec 1. a. A straight line intersecting a curve at two or more points. b. The straight line drawn from the center through one end of a circular arc and intersecting the tangent to the other end of the arc. c. The ratio of the length of this line to the length of the radius of the circle. 2. The reciprocal of the cosine of an angle in a right triangle. [From Latin sec  ns, secant-, present participle of secre, to cut; see sek- in Indo-European roots.] |   |
secant [ˈsiːkənt]
n
1. (Mathematics) (of an angle) a trigonometric function that in a right-angled triangle is the ratio of the length of the hypotenuse to that of the adjacent side; the reciprocal of cosine Abbreviation sec
2. (Mathematics) a line that intersects a curve
[from Latin secāre to cut]
secantly adv
| secant (sknt) 1. A straight line or ray that intersects a curve, especially a circle, at two or more points. 2. The ratio of the length of the hypotenuse in a right triangle to the side adjacent to an acute angle. The secant is the inverse of the cosine. 3. The reciprocal of the abscissa of the endpoint of an arc of a unit circle centered at the origin of a Cartesian coordinate system, the arc being of length x and measured counterclockwise from the point (1, 0) if x is positive or clockwise if x is negative. 4. A function of a number x, equal to the secant of an angle whose measure in radians is equal to x. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  secant - a straight line that intersects a curve at two or more pointsstraight line - a line traced by a point traveling in a constant direction; a line of zero curvature; "the shortest distance between two points is a straight line" |
| 2. | secant - ratio of the hypotenuse to the adjacent side of a right-angled triangle circular function, trigonometric function - function of an angle expressed as a ratio of the length of the sides of right-angled triangle containing the angle |
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