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cosecant
(kō sē′kənt, -kant′)
noun
Trigonometry the reciprocal of the sine; specif.
- the ratio of the hypotenuse to the opposite side of a given acute angle in a right triangle
- an equivalent, positive or negative ratio for certain related angles (Ex.: the cosecant of 57° or 123° is 1.1923, of 237° or 303° is −1.1923) or real numbers representing radians (Ex.: the cosecant of .9948 radians (57°) is 1.1923)
Origin: Fr cosécante, for co. secans, short for ModL complementi secans, lit., secant of the complement
See cosecant in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun Abbr. csc
- The reciprocal of the sine of an angle in a right triangle.
- The secant of the complement of a directed angle or arc.
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cosecant
csc Θ= c/a
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