What is "tangent"

Tangent \Tan"gent\, a. [L. tangens, -entis, p. pr.] Touching; touching at a single point; specifically (Geom.) meeting a curve or surface at a point and having at that point the same direction as the curve or surface; -- said of a straight line, curve, or surface; as, a line tangent to a curve; a curve tangent to a surface; tangent surfaces.

Tangent plane (Geom.), a plane which touches a surface in a point or line.

Tangent scale (Gun.), a kind of breech sight for a cannon.

Tangent screw (Mach.), an endless screw; a worm.

Tangent \Tan"gent\, n. [L. tangens, -entis, p. pr. of tangere to touch; akin to Gr. ? having seized: cf. F. tangente. Cf. Attain, Contaminate, Contingent, Entire, Tact, Taste, Tax, v. t.] (Geom.) A tangent line curve, or surface; specifically, that portion of the straight line tangent to a curve that is between the point of tangency and a given line, the given line being, for example, the axis of abscissas, or a radius of a circle produced. See Trigonometrical function, under Function.

Artificial tangent, or Logarithmic tangent, the logarithm of the natural tangent of an arc.

Natural tangent, a decimal expressing the length of the tangent of an arc, the radius being reckoned unity.

Tangent galvanometer (Elec.), a form of galvanometer having a circular coil and a short needle, in which the tangent of the angle of deflection of the needle is proportional to the strength of the current.

Tangent of an angle, the natural tangent of the arc subtending or measuring the angle.

Tangent of an arc, a right line, as ta, touching the arc of a circle at one extremity a, and terminated by a line ct, passing from the center through the other extremity o.

1590s, "meeting at a point without intersecting," from Latin tangentem (nominative tangens), present participle of tangere "to touch," from PIE root *tag- "to touch, to handle; border on; taste, partake of; strike, hit;" figuratively "affect, impress; trick, cheat; mention, speak of" (cognates: Latin tactus "touch;" Greek tassein "to arrange," tetagon "having seized;" Old English þaccian "stroke, strike gently"). First used by Danish mathematician Thomas Fincke in "Geomietria Rotundi" (1583). Extended sense of "slightly connected with a subject" is first recorded 1825. Related: Tangence; tangency.

1590s as a geometric function, from tangent (adj.). From 1650s as "a tangent line." Figurative use of off on a tangent is from 1771.

a. 1 (context geometry English) Touching a curve at a single point but not crossing it at that point. 2 Of a topic, only loosely related to a main topic. n. 1 (context geometry English) A straight line touching a curve at a single point without crossing it there. 2 (context trigonometry English) In a right triangle, the ratio of the length of the side opposite the angle to the length of the side adjacent to the angle. Symbols: tan, tg

1. n. a straight line or plane that touches a curve or curved surface at a point but does not intersect it at that point

2. ratio of the opposite to the adjacent side of a right-angled triangle [syn: tan]

A tangent, in geometry, is a straight line through a point on a curve that has the same direction at that point as the curve.

Tangent may also refer to:

In geometry, the tangent line (or simply tangent) to a plane curve at a given point is the straight line that "just touches" the curve at that point. Leibniz defined it as the line through a pair of infinitely close points on the curve. More precisely, a straight line is said to be a tangent of a curve at a point on the curve if the line passes through the point on the curve and has slope where f is the derivative of f. A similar definition applies to space curves and curves in n-dimensional Euclidean space.

As it passes through the point where the tangent line and the curve meet, called the point of tangency, the tangent line is "going in the same direction" as the curve, and is thus the best straight-line approximation to the curve at that point.

Similarly, the tangent plane to a surface at a given point is the plane that "just touches" the surface at that point. The concept of a tangent is one of the most fundamental notions in differential geometry and has been extensively generalized; see Tangent space.

The word "tangent" comes from the Latin tangere, 'to touch'.

Tangent is a social networking organisation for ladies aged over 45, primarily intended for former members of Ladies Circle. It is part of the Round Table Family of clubs, together with Round Table (club), Ladies Circle and 41 Club.

Ladies who are either (a) the wife or partner of a former member of Round Table or (b) a former member of Ladies Circle are eligible to join Tangent. (From 2009 some Tangent clubs have open membership and accept women who were not previously members of Ladies Circle).

Round Table itself was formed in 1927, a social networking and community group exclusively for men aged under 40. Within three years, their wives had formed their own group, Ladies Circle. Like Round Table, Ladies Circle was specifically intended for younger ladies, and so was only open to under 40s. In 1953, former members of Bournemouth Ladies Circle formed their own group, Tangent.

In the 1990s, Ladies Circle opened up membership to non wives/female partners of Tablers/ ex Tablers

Like the three other clubs in the movement, there are various Tangent clubs in towns and cities across the UK, and overseas.

Recently, some Tangent clubs have opened their doors to non ex Circlers.

Tangent clubs are affiliated to the National Association of Tangent Clubs (NATC). The members of each club will usually meet monthly, and organise various social events, and also activities to raise funds for charity or to support the community. Clubs will often hold Friendship or Fellowship evenings and invite other clubs in the neighbourhood to attend. Members of different clubs also have the opportunity to meet at a number of Regional Lunches held throughout the year.

A National AGM is held in April each year at a different venue. The members of the National Executive are elected at this meeting, and various proposals will be debated and voted on.

The Club motto is "Let Friendship Continue".