secant

noun

se·cant | \ ˈsē-ˌkant

How to pronounce secant (audio)

, -kənt\

Definition of secant

1 : a straight line cutting a curve at two or more points

2 : a straight line drawn from the center of a circle through one end of a circular arc to a tangent drawn from the other end of the arc

3a : a trigonometric function that for an acute angle is the ratio of the hypotenuse of a right triangle of which the angle is considered part and the leg adjacent to the angle

b : a trigonometric function sec θ that is the reciprocal of the cosine for all real numbers θ for which the cosine is not zero and that is exactly equal to the secant of an angle of measure θ in radians

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The first known use of secant was in 1593

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sporadic

not constant or steady

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