Definition of tangent

tangentnoun

đường tiếp tuyến

/ˈtændʒənt//ˈtændʒənt/

The word "tangent" has its roots in Latin. In Latin, the phrase "tangens" means "touching" or "concerning". This phrase is derived from the verb "tangere", which means "to touch" or "to lay hands on". In mathematics, the term "tangent" was first used in the 14th century to describe the line that just touches a curve at a single point. This concept is characterized by the fact that the line is not inside the curve, but rather it only touches it at that one point. Over time, the word "tangent" has taken on a broader meaning in everyday language, referring to a topic that is closely related or pertinent to a particular subject. For example, a question may be a tangent to a main topic, meaning it is a related but secondary issue.

Summary
type tính từ
meaning(toán học) tiếp xúc, tiếp tuyến
exampletangent bundle: chùm tiếp tuyến
exampletangent circles: vòng tiếp xúc
type danh từ
meaning(toán học) đường tiếp tuyến
exampletangent bundle: chùm tiếp tuyến
exampletangent circles: vòng tiếp xúc
meaningtang
meaningđi chệch ra ngoài vấn đề đang bàn; đi chệch ra khỏi nếp nghĩ (cách cư xử) hằng ngày
namespace

a straight line that touches the outside of a curve but does not cross it

một đường thẳng chạm vào bên ngoài của một đường cong nhưng không cắt nó

Example:
  • The cart track branches off at a tangent.

    Đường ray xe ngựa rẽ nhánh theo một đường tiếp tuyến.

the ratio of the length of the side opposite an angle in a right-angled triangle to the length of the side next to it

tỉ số giữa độ dài cạnh đối diện với một góc trong tam giác vuông với độ dài cạnh kề với nó

Related words and phrases

Idioms

fly/go off at a tangent
(informal)to suddenly start saying or doing something that does not seem to be connected to what has gone before
  • He never sticks to the point but keeps going off at a tangent.
  • Laura’s mind went off at a tangent.