Meanings
nounsecant (plural secants)
plural secants
- mathematicsIn a right triangle, the reciprocal of the cosine of an angle. Symbol: sec
adjectivesecant (not comparable)
- not comparableThat cuts or divides.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounratio of the hypotenuse to the adjacent side of a right-angled triangle
Similar
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*sek-
- Proto-Indo-European*sékh₁yeti
- Proto-Italic*sekaō
- Latinsecō
- Latinsecāns
- Englishsecant
From Latin secāns, present participle of secō (“to cut”).
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans sekans, sekanse
- sekansin trigonometry
- sekansein trigonometry
Arabic قَاطِع
- قَاطِع (qāṭiʕ)in trigonometry
Bulgarian секателна, секанс
- секателна (sekatelna)in geometry
- секанс (sekans)in trigonometry
Catalan secant
- secantin trigonometry
Chinese Mandarin 割線 /割线, 正割
- 割線 /割线 (gēxiàn)in geometry
- 正割 (zhènggē)in trigonometry
Czech sečna, sekans
- sečnain geometry
- sekansin trigonometry
Danish sekant
- sekantin geometry
Finnish leikkaaja, sekantti
- leikkaajain geometry
- sekanttiin geometry
- sekanttiin trigonometry
French sécante, sécante
- sécantein geometry
- sécantein trigonometry
German Sekante, Sekans
- Sekantein geometry
- Sekansin trigonometry
Greek τέμνουσα, τέμνουσα
- τέμνουσα (témnousa)in geometry
- τέμνουσα (témnousa)in trigonometry
Hindi छेदक रेखा
- छेदक रेखा (chedak rekhā)in geometry
Hungarian szelő, szekáns
- szelőin geometry
- szekánsin trigonometry
Icelandic sniðill
- sniðillin geometry
Italian secante
- secantein trigonometry
Japanese 割線, セカント
- 割線 (kassen)in geometry
- セカント (sekanto)in trigonometry
- 正割 (seikatsu)in trigonometry
Polish sieczna, sekans
- siecznain geometry
- sekansin trigonometry
Portuguese secante, secante
- secantein geometry
- secantein trigonometry
Punjabi ਛੇਦਕ ਰੇਖਾ
- ਛੇਦਕ ਰੇਖਾ (chedak rekhā)in geometry
Romanian secantă, secantă
- secantăin geometry
- secantăin trigonometry
Russian секу́щая, се́канс
- секу́щая (sekúščaja)in geometry
- се́канс (sékans)in trigonometry
Spanish secante, secante
- secantein geometry
- secantein trigonometry
Tagalog tangab, sekway
- tangabin geometry
- sekwayin trigonometry
Tamil இணைச்செவ்வளை நேர்மாற்று
- இணைச்செவ்வளை நேர்மாற்று (iṇaiccevvaḷai nērmāṟṟu)in trigonometry
Thai เส้นตัด, ซีแคนต์
- เส้นตัดin geometry
- ซีแคนต์in trigonometry
Turkish sekant, sekant
- sekantin geometry
- sekantin trigonometry
Ukrainian січна́, се́канс
- січна́ (sičná)in geometry
- се́канс (sékans)in trigonometry
Vietnamese cát tuyến, hàm sec
- cát tuyếnin geometry
- hàm secin trigonometry
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with secant
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
secant. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/secant
MLA
“secant.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/secant. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “secant,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/secant.
Source: secant on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.