tangency

T1A1N1G2E1N1C3Y4

noun

The state of being tangent; an instance of (something) being tangent.

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UncommonScrabble 14

Meanings

nountangency (countable and uncountable, plural tangencies)

plural tangencies · alternative tangence

  1. countableuncountableThe state of being tangent; an instance of (something) being tangent.

    In this section we will apply the concept of connectedness in dimension d to study tangencies of algebraic varieties.

    1999, H. Flenner, L. O′Carroll, W. Vogel, Joins and Intersections, page 131
    2 more examples

    To be tangent to a circle or arc, a line must touch the circle or arc at only one point, and a line drawn from the center of the circle or arc must be perpendicular to the tangent line at the point of tangency. (See Figure 6.82.)

    2004, David A. Madsen et al., Engineering Drawing & Design, 3rd edition, page 160

    If the original tangency is at A, then the new tangency cannot be at O or P, as either possibility would require two indifference curves to cross.[…]Instead, the new tangency is at a point like B.

    2011, Steven E. Landsburg, Price Theory and Applications, 8th edition, page 83

Synonyms & antonyms

noun(electronics) a junction where things (as two electrical conductors) touch or are in physical contact

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Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Cite this entry
APA

tangency. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tangency

MLA

“tangency.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tangency. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tangency,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tangency.

Source: tangency on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.