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secant (n.)
one of the fundamental functions of trigonometry, 1590s, from Latin secantem (nominative secans) "a cutting," present participle of secare "to cut" (from PIE root *sek- "to cut"). First used by Danish mathematician Thomas Fincke in "Geometria Rotundi" (1583). Related: Secancy ("state of being a secant").
updated on March 19, 2022
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