tangent
Single-point contact line
A tangent is a line that touches a curve at exactly one point without crossing it—the geometric sense from which all others derive.
In trigonometry, the tangent of an angle is the ratio of the opposite side to the adjacent side in a right triangle.
Most commonly, tangent appears in go off on a tangent, meaning to diverge abruptly from the main topic: We were discussing the budget, but he went off on a tangent about his vacation.
Brief theatrical digression
- detourAlternate path around obstruction
- departureAct of going away
- rambleMove or speak without direction
- meanderTo travel without direction
wander · drift · stray · deviate · excursion · diverge · sidetrack · off-topic
Curved closed shape
- lineContinuous mark or queue
- pointExact location or meaning
- curveSmooth, angleless line
- angleGeometric measure of rotation
perpendicular · secant · chord · radius · diameter · circumference · arc · intersection
Function's rate of change
- slopeAngled terrain or steepness
- curveSmooth, angleless line
- functionPurpose or duty
- limitMaximum allowed extent
approximation · linearization · differentiation · rate · instantaneous · secant · graph · equation
Occurring without prior notice
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- abruptSharp and unexpected
- shiftMovement or work period
- veerChange course suddenly
leap · jump · swerve · unprompted · spontaneous · digressive · unrelated
aside
Brief theatrical digression
- detourAlternate path around obstruction
- departureAct of going away
- rambleMove or speak without direction
meander · wander · drift · stray · deviate · excursion · diverge · sidetrack · off-topic · anecdote
circle
Curved closed shape
angle · perpendicular · secant · chord · radius · diameter · circumference · arc · intersection · plane
derivative
Function's rate of change
limit · approximation · linearization · differentiation · rate · instantaneous · secant · graph · equation · infinitesimal
sudden
Occurring without prior notice
- unexpectedNot anticipated beforehand
- abruptSharp and unexpected
- shiftMovement or work period
veer · leap · jump · swerve · unprompted · spontaneous · digressive · unrelated
- geometryangles, circles, angle, shapes, lines
- Formulaschemical formula, quadratic formula, empirical formula, area formula, volume formula
- Derailment tacticsdiversion, deflection, misdirection, sidetracking, distraction
- mathematical functionssine function, exponential function, logarithm, trigonometric functions, linear functions
- smooth functionssine, cosine, polynomial, exponential, logarithm
- geometry termscircle, line, rectangle, side, square
tangentsecant
Trig ratio, 1/cos
chord · diameter · normal · perpendicular · radius
tangentmain point
Essential takeaway of something
on topic · to the point · crux · core argument · thesis
- go off on a tangentDeviate from the subject
- tangent lineCurve-touching straight path
- go off at a tangentDeviate from main topic
- fly off at a tangentSuddenly go off-topic
- tangent planeFlat surface touching at point
tangential, tangency, tangentially, tangents, cotangent, cotangents, tangent line, tangent lines