tangents
Lines barely grazing
Tangents are lines or paths that touch a curve at exactly one point without crossing it—the geometric sense.
More commonly, tangents are digressions from a main topic: She kept going off on tangents during the lecture.
To go off on a tangent is to veer suddenly from the subject at hand.
In trigonometry, tangent is a ratio of sides in a right triangle, abbreviated tan.
Curved closed shape
- radiusCenter-to-perimeter distance
- perpendicularAt right angles
- arcCurved line segment
- curveSmooth, angleless line
secant · chord · sine · cosine · point · line · plane · angle
Unrelated to discussion
- unrelatedHaving no link
- extraneousNot pertinent or essential
- peripheralExternal computer add-on
- incidentalMinor and unplanned
immaterial · nonessential · distraction · inconsequential · superfluous · secondary · ancillary · meandering
circle
Curved closed shape
- radiusCenter-to-perimeter distance
- perpendicularAt right angles
- arcCurved line segment
curve · secant · chord · sine · cosine · point · line · plane · angle · intersection
off-topic
Unrelated to discussion
- unrelatedHaving no link
- extraneousNot pertinent or essential
- peripheralExternal computer add-on
incidental · immaterial · nonessential · distraction · inconsequential · superfluous · secondary · ancillary · meandering · unfocused
aside
Brief theatrical digression
- rambleMove or speak without direction
- departureAct of going away
- detourAlternate path around obstruction
deviation · meander · wander · drift · sidetrack · interlude · excursus · segue · parenthetical · divergence
branching
Splitting into separate directions
parting · separating · radiating · spreading · bifurcating · departing · straying · deviating · offshoots · spin-offs
- mathaddition, subtraction, multiplication, division, algebra
- curvescurve, arc, curves, curls, curl
- meeting problemsno decisions, interrupting, rambling, off-topic, overrunning
- indirectnesscircumlocution, euphemism, hedging, hint, hinting
- talkativenesstalkativeness, verbosity, wordiness, garrulity, loquacity
- writing flawstypos, spelling errors, plot hole, plot holes, cliche
tangentssecants
Curve-intersecting straight lines
chords · intersecting lines · transversals · normals · perpendiculars
tangentsstraight talk
Honest, direct communication
getting to the point · direct approach · cutting to the chase · directness · beeline
- 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
tangent, tangential, tangency, tangentially, cotangent, tangent line