1
: an abrupt change of course : digression
the speaker went off on a tangent
2
a
: the trigonometric function that for an acute angle is the ratio between the leg opposite to the angle when it is considered part of a right triangle and the leg adjacent
b
: a trigonometric function that is equal to the sine divided by the cosine for all real numbers θ for which the cosine is not equal to zero and is exactly equal to the tangent of an angle of measure θ in radians
3
: a line that is tangent
specifically
: a straight line that is the limiting position of a secant of a curve through a fixed point and a variable point on the curve as the variable point approaches the fixed point
4
: a small upright flat-ended metal pin at the inner end of a clavichord key that strikes the string to produce the tone
1
a
: meeting a curve or surface in a single point if a sufficiently small interval is considered
straight line tangent to a curve
b(1)
: having a common tangent line at a point
tangent curves
(2)
: having a common tangent plane at a point
tangent surfaces
2
: diverging from an original purpose or course : irrelevant
tangent remarks
Examples of tangent in a Sentence
Noun
in the middle of her description of her dog's symptoms, she went off on a tangent about its cute behavior
Recent Examples on the Web
Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Stephen seemed to have a couple tangents like that one.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023
That leaves us with the tangent function.
—Rhett Allain, Wired, 14 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for tangent 
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Noun
Odd tangents by Trump, such as about the fictional cannibal Hannibal Lecter or the late golfer Arnold Palmer’s genitalia, have also become routine.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
Stephen seemed to have a couple tangents like that one.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 10 Oct. 2024
Adjective
By 1643, René Descartes had discovered a simple relationship between the curvatures of any four circles that are tangent to each other.
—Quanta Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023
That leaves us with the tangent function.
—Rhett Allain, Wired, 14 Mar. 2022
See all Example Sentences for tangent
Dictionary Entries Near tangent
Cite this Entry
“Tangent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tangent. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tangent
1 of 2 adjective
tan·gent
ˈtan-jənt 
: touching a curve or surface at only one point
a straight line tangent to a circle
tangent
2 of 2 noun1
: a trigonometric function that for an acute angle in a right triangle is the ratio of the side opposite the angle to the side next to it
2
: a line that is tangent
3
: a sudden change of course
the speaker went off on a tangent
tangential
adjective
tan-ˈjen-chəl
tangentially
adverb
-ˈjench-(ə-)lē
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