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cotangent
(kō tan′jənt, kō′tan′-)
noun
Trigonometry the reciprocal of the tangent; specif.
- the ratio of the adjacent side of a given acute angle in a right triangle to the opposite side
- an equivalent, positive or negative ratio for certain related angles (Ex.: the cotangent of 57° or 237° is .6494, of 123° or 303° is −.6494) or real numbers representing radians (Ex.: the cotangent of .9948 radians (57°) is .6494)
Origin: ModL cotangens < co. tangens, short for complementi tangens, lit., tangent of the complement
See cotangent in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun Abbr. cot
- The reciprocal of the tangent of an angle in a right triangle.
- The tangent of the complement of a directed angle or arc.
Related Forms:
- coˌtan·genˈtial (-jĕnˈshəl) adjective
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cotangent
cot Θ= b/a
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