secant curve

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• Secant — Secant, n. [Cf. F. s[ e]cante. See {Secant}, a.] 1. (Geom.) A line that cuts another; especially, a straight line cutting a curve in two or more points. [1913 Webster] 2. (Trig.) A right line drawn from the center of a circle through one end of a …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

• secant — [sē′kənt] adj. [L secans, prp. of secare, to cut: see SAW1] cutting; intersecting n. 1. Geom. any straight line intersecting a curve at two or more points 2. Trigonometry the reciprocal of the cosine; specif., a) the ratio of the hypotenuse to… …   English World dictionary

• secant — ► NOUN 1) Mathematics (in a right angled triangle) the ratio of the hypotenuse to the shorter side adjacent to an acute angle. 2) Geometry a straight line that cuts a curve in two or more parts. ORIGIN from Latin secare to cut …   English terms dictionary

• Secant line — A secant line of a curve is a line that (locally) intersects two points on the curve. The word secant comes from the Latin secare , for to cut .It can be used to approximate the tangent to a curve, at some point P . If the secant to a curve is… …   Wikipedia

• secant — noun Etymology: New Latin secant , secans, from Latin, present participle of secare to cut more at saw Date: 1593 1. a straight line cutting a curve at two or more points 2. a straight line drawn from the center of a circle through one end of a… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

• secant — adj. & n. Math. adj. cutting (secant line). n. 1 a line cutting a curve at one or more points. 2 the ratio of the hypotenuse to the shorter side adjacent to an acute angle (in a right angled triangle). Usage: Abbr.: sec. Etymology: F… …   Useful english dictionary

• secant — secantly, adv. /see kant, keuhnt/, n. 1. Geom. an intersecting line, esp. one intersecting a curve at two or more points. 2. Trig. a. (in a right triangle) the ratio of the hypotenuse to the side adjacent to a given angle. b. (originally) a line… …   Universalium

• secant — se•cant [[t]ˈsi kænt, kənt[/t]] n. 1) math. an intersecting line, esp. one intersecting a curve at two or more points 2) math. (in a right triangle) the ratio of the hypotenuse to the side adjacent to a given angle; the reciprocal of its cosine… …   From formal English to slang

• secant — noun a) A straight line that intersects a curve at two or more points. b) In a right triangle, the reciprocal of the cosine of an angle. Symbol: sec See …   Wiktionary

• secant — se·cant || sɪːkænt / sɪːkÉ™nt n. straight line that intersects a curve at two or more points (Geometry); ratio of the hypotenuse of a right triangle to the side adjacent to a given angle (Trigonometry) …   English contemporary dictionary

• secant — [ si:k(ə)nt, sɛk ] noun 1》 Mathematics the ratio of the hypotenuse (in a right angled triangle) to the shorter side adjacent to an acute angle. 2》 Geometry a straight line that cuts a curve in two or more parts. Origin C16; from Fr. sécante,… …   English new terms dictionary