- (v.t.) 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.
- (a.) 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.
- (a.) Touching; touching at a single point.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). Tangent. Retrieved September 21, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/tangent/definitions/2070317 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "Tangent" http://smartdefine.org/tangent/definitions/2070317 (accessed September 21, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, Tangent, Smart Define, viewed 21 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/tangent/definitions/2070317>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "Tangent" 28 May 2011. Web. 21 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/tangent/definitions/2070317> |