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To extend under, or be opposed to; as, the line of a triangle which subtends the right angle; the chord subtends an arc.

The scales or bracts on the receptacle, which subtend each flower in the heads of many Compositæ, as the sunflower. Gray. Chaff cutter, a machine for cutting, up straw, etc., into "chaff" for the use of cattle.

corolla and callyx. In mosses the flowers consist of a few special leaves surrounding or subtending organs called archegonia. See Blossom, and Corolla.

gnitude (Opt.), the angular breadth of an object viewed as measured by the angle which it subtends at the eye of the observer; - - called also apparent diameter. -- Magnitude of a star (Astron.), the rank of a star with respect to brightness. About twenty very bright stars are said to be of first magnitude, the stars…

or microscope, for measuring minute distances, or the apparent diameters of objects which subtend minute angles. The measurement given directly is that of the image of the object formed at the focus of the object glass. Circular, or Ring, micrometer, a metallic ring fixed in the focus of the object glass of a telescope…

-- Heliocentric parallax, the parallax of a body with reference to the sun, or the angle subtended at the body by lines drawn from it to the earth and sun; as, the heliocentric parallax of a planet. -- Horizontal parallax, the geocentric parallx of a heavenly body when in the horizon, or the angle subtended at the bo…

The quarter of a circle, or of the circumference of a circle, an arc of 90º, or one subtending a right angle at the center.

The parallax of the sun, that is, the angle subtended at the sun by the semidiameter of the earth. It is 8."80, and is the fundamental datum.

er for measuring the distance of an object of known dimensions, by observing the angle it subtends; especially (Surveying), a graduated rod used to measure the distance of the place where it stands from an instrument having a telescope, by observing the number of the graduations of the rod that are seen between certain…

rv.), an instrument for locating on a chart the position of a place from which the angles subtended by three distant objects, whose positions are known, have been observed. -- Station staff (Surv.), an instrument for taking angles in surveying. Craig.

A line subtending, or stretching across; a chord; as, the subtense of an arc.

l to the strength of the current. -- Tangent of an angle, the natural tangent of the arc subtending or measuring the angle. -- Tangent of an arc, a right line, as ta, touching the arc of a circle at one extremity a, and terminated by a line ct, passing from the center through the other extremity o.