secant Hear it!

secant definition

se·cant (sē′kənt)

adjective

cutting; intersecting

Etymology: L secans, prp. of secare, to cut: see saw

noun

  1. Geom. any straight line intersecting a curve at two or more points
  2. Trigonometry the reciprocal of the cosine; specif.,
    1. the ratio of the hypotenuse to the adjacent side of a given acute angle in a right triangle
    2. an equivalent, positive or negative ratio for certain related angles (Ex.: the secant of 57° or 303° is 1.8362, of 123° or 237° is -1.8362) or real numbers representing radians (Ex.: the secant of .9948 radians (57°) is 1.8362)

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