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secant

secant in mathematics. 1 In geometry, a secant is a straight line cutting a curve or surface. If it intersects the curve in two different points, as in the secant of a circle , the segment of the secant between the points is called a chord. The limiting position of a secant, if such a limit exists, is called the tangent to the curve or surface at that point. 2 A trigonometric function. See trigonometry .

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"secant." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Jul. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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secant

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Â© World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

secant In trigonometry, ratio of the length of the hypotenuse to the length of the side adjacent to an acute angle in a right-angled triangle. The secant of angle A is usually abbreviated to sec A, and is equal to the reciprocal of its cosine.

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The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Â© The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology 1996, originally published by Oxford University Press 1996. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

secant in full s. line. XVI. — F. sécant adj., sécante sb. — modL. use of L. secāns, -ant-, prp. of secāre cut; see SECTION, -ANT.

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T. F. HOAD. "secant." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 9 Jul. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "secant." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (July 9, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-secant.html

T. F. HOAD. "secant." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved July 09, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-secant.html

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