SECANT

secant, sec

(noun) ratio of the hypotenuse to the adjacent side of a right-angled triangle

secant

(noun) a straight line that intersects a curve at two or more points

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

secant (plural secants)

(geometry) A straight line that intersects a curve at two or more points.

(trigonometry) In a right triangle, the reciprocal of the cosine of an angle. Symbol: sec

Adjective

secant (not comparable)

That cuts or divides.

Anagrams

• ascent, casten, enacts, scante, stance

Source: Wiktionary


Se"cant, a. Etym: [L. secans, -antis, p.pr. of secare to cut. See Section.]

Definition: Cutting; divivding into two parts; as, a secant line.

Secant, n. Etym: [Cf. F. sécante. See Secant, a.]

1. (Geom.)

Definition: A line that cuts another; especially, a straight line cutting a curve in two or more points.

2. (Trig.)

Definition: 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.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

6 May 2025

HEEDLESS

(adjective) marked by or paying little heed or attention; “We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics”--Franklin D. Roosevelt; “heedless of danger”; “heedless of the child’s crying”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest coffee shop is the Al Masaa Café, which has 1,050 seats. The coffee shop was inaugurated in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 13 August 2014.

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