Hypertext Webster Gateway: "Secant"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Secant \Se"cant\, a. [L. secans, -antis, p. pr. of secare to
cut. See {Section}.]
Cutting; divivding into two parts; as, a secant line.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
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.
2. (Trig.) A right line drawn from the center of a circle
through one end of a circular arc, and terminated by a
tangent drawn from the other end; the number expressing
the ratio line of this line to the radius of the circle.
See {Trigonometrical function}, under {Function}.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
secant
n 1: a straight line that intersects a curve at two or more
points
2: ratio of the hypotenuse to the adjacent side [syn: {sec}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.