Definition of tangent

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.