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Noun: tangent  tan-junt
  1. A straight line or plane that touches a curve or curved surface at a point but does not intersect it at that point
     
  2. Ratio of the opposite to the adjacent side of a right-angled triangle
    - tan
     
  3. A topic nearly unrelated to the main topic, but having a point in common with it
    "If you speak from notes, remember that it’s easy to get distracted or go off on a tangent"

Derived forms: tangents

Type of: circular function, straight line, trigonometric function

Encyclopedia: Tangent, Or