secant
1 of 1noun/ˈsikænt/
Forms:secants
1
a line that crosses a curve at least at two distinct points
- By drawing a secant, the mathematician was able to study the curve’s behavior at multiple points.
- The secant of the curve intersects it at two different points, forming a distinct angle.
- In calculus, the secant is often used to define the derivative at a point on a curve.
- The secant to the parabola was plotted to observe how it crosses the curve at two distinct locations.
- By drawing the secant, they could approximate the behavior of the curve between the points.
2
ratio of the hypotenuse to the adjacent side of a right-angled triangle
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