Secant definition of Secant in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

secant, in mathematics.

1 In geometry, a secant is a straight line cutting a curve or surface. If it intersects the curve in two different points, as in the secant of a circle circle, closed plane curve consisting of all points at a given distance from some fixed point, called the center. A circle is a conic section cut by a plane perpendicular to the axis of the cone.
..... Click the link for more information. , the segment of the secant between the points is called a chord. The limiting position of a secant, if such a limit exists, is called the tangent tangent, in mathematics.

1 In geometry, the tangent to a circle or sphere is a straight line that intersects the circle or sphere in one and only one point.
..... Click the link for more information. to the curve or surface at that point.

2 A trigonometric function. See trigonometry trigonometry [Gr.,=measurement of triangles], a specialized area of geometry concerned with the properties of and relations among the parts of a triangle. Spherical trigonometry is concerned with the study of triangles on the surface of a sphere rather than in the
..... Click the link for more information. .

secant

1. (of an angle) a trigonometric function that in a right-angled triangle is the ratio of the length of the hypotenuse to that of the adjacent side; the reciprocal of cosine

2. a line that intersects a curve

secant [′sē‚kant]

(mathematics)

The function given by the reciprocal of the cosine function. Abreviated sec.

The secant of an angleAis 1/cosA.

A line of unlimited length that intersects a given curve.

Secant

a trigonometric function. In a right triangle, the secant of an acute angle is defined as the ratio of the hypotenuse to the leg adjacent to the angle. The secant is denoted by sec.

Mentioned in	?		References in classic literature	?		Encyclopedia browser	?		Full browser	?
No references found	He felt the necessity of gaining a firmer footing, and turned towards the road by the shortest secant line. The Man in the Iron Mask by Dumas, Alexandre View in context	Sebek Sebekidae Sebeos Sebezh Sebezh, Lake Sebillot, Paul Sébillot, Paul sebka Sebkha Seborrhea seborrheic dermatitis Sebou River Sebriakovo Cement Plant Sebring 12-Hour Race Sebring ring Sebris, Karl Sebris, Karl Karlovich Sebuku sebum sec sec-butylamine seca Secale secalose Secam Secant secant conic chart secant conic projection Secaucus SECC Secchi Disk Secchi, Angelo Secchi, Pietro Angelo Secchia, Pietro Secco SECD machine Secernentea Secessio secession Secession, War of sech Sech Rada Sech, Novaia Sech, Zadunaiskaia Sech, Zaporozhe sechard Séchard, David Sechehaye, Albert Sechenov's Inhibition Sechenov, Ivan Sechenov, Ivan Mikhailovich	SECA SECA SECA SECAAS SECAB SECABS SECAC SECAD SECADEV SECAF SECAG SECAL Secale Secale Secale cereale Secale cereale Secale cereale Secale cereale secalose SECAM SECAM SECAM SECAM SECAN SECAN Doctrine and Information Publications Secancy Secanol Secanol Secanol Secans Secant secant conic chart secant conic projection Secant function Secant function Secant-secant power theorem secants secants secants SECAP SECAPT SECAR SECAR SECARB SECARMY SECAS SECAS SECASA SECAT Secateur secateurs Secaucus Secaucus Secaucus, New Jersey Secaucus, New Jersey Secaucus, New Jersey SECB SECBE SECBNR SECBR Secbutabarbital

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

Encyclopedia browser

Full browser

No references found

He felt the necessity of gaining a firmer footing, and turned towards the road by the shortest secant line.

The Man in the Iron Mask by Dumas, Alexandre View in context

Secant playV2('en/US/sg/sgsgdsdddfshsoh7');playV2('en/UK/sg/sgsgdsdddfshsoh7')

Secant