# tangent

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtæn.d͡ʒənt/ · frequency rank #22,835

## Definitions
1. A straight line touching a curve at a single point without crossing it there.
2. A function of an angle that gives the ratio of the sine to the cosine, in either the real or complex numbers. Symbols: tan, tg.
3. A topic nearly unrelated to the main topic, but having a point in common with it.
4. A visual interaction between two or more lines or edges that creates a perceived relationship between them, often in a way that the artist did not intend.
5. A small metal blade in a clavichord that strikes the strings to produce sound.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Latin tangentem, the accusative of tangēns (“touching”) (in the phrase līnea tangēns (“a touching line”)), the present participle of the verb tangō (“touch”, verb), from Proto-Italic *tangō, from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g- (“to touch”).
Cognate with Old English þaccian (“to touch lightly, pat, stroke”). More at thack, thwack.

## Easily confused with
- **target** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tangent-vs-target)
- **talent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/talent-vs-tangent)

## Common misspellings (11)
`atngent`, `tagnent`, `tanegnt`, `tangennt`, `tangentt`, `tangetn`, `tanggent`, `tangnet`, `tanngent`, `tnagent`, `ttangent`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tangent