secant

/ˈsiːkænt/
noun
  1. In a right triangle, the ratio of the length of the hypotenuse to the length of the side adjacent to a given angle.
    • In trigonometry class, we calculated the secant of 30 degrees.
    • The teacher explained that the secant is the reciprocal of the cosine.
    • To find the secant of the angle, divide the hypotenuse by the adjacent side.
  2. A straight line that cuts a curve at two or more points.
    • We drew a secant through the parabola to study its shape.
    • A secant is different from a tangent because it intersects the curve in two places.
    • The secant crossed the circle at exactly two points.
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