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A tangent line curve, or surface; specifically, that portion of the straight line tangent to a curve that is between the point of tangency and a given line, the given line being, for example, the axis of abscissas, or a radius of a circle produced. See Trigonometrical function, under Function. Artificial, or Logarithmi…

A tension spoke of a bicycle or similar wheel, secured tangentially to the hub.

A worm or worm wheel; a tangent screw.

Tangential.

Of or pertaining to a tangent; in the direction of a tangent. Tangential force (Mech.), a force which acts on a moving body in the direction of a tangent to the path of the body, its effect being to increase or diminish the velocity; -- distinguished from a normal force, which acts at right angles to the tangent and ch…

In the direction of a tangent.

Possessing the property of touching at two points. -- n.

The tangent of the complement of an arc or angle. See Illust. of Functions.

The tangent of half an arc.

The part of the axis contained between the ordinate and tangent drawn to the same point in a curve.

The angle between the tangent to the advancing edge (of an aërocurve) and the line of motion; -- contrasted with angle of trail, which is the angle between the tangent to the following edge and the line of motion.

lines, lines on a sector or scale, so contrived as to represent the logarithmic sines and tangents, which, by the help of the line of numbers, solve, with tolerable exactness, questions in trigonometry, navigation, etc. -- Artificial numbers, logarithms. -- Artificial person (Law). See under Person. -- Artificial si…

Asymptotes may be straight lines or curves. A rectilinear asymptote may be conceived as a tangent to the curve at an infinite distance.

om.), the straight line perpendicular to the line joining their centers and such that the tangents from any point of it to the two circles shall be equal to each other. -- Spiral axis (Arch.), the axis of a twisted column drawn spirally in order to trace the circumvolutions without. -- Axis of abscissas and Axis of o…

(Optics), a curve to which the ray of light, reflected or refracted by another curve, are tangents, the reflecting or refracting curve and the luminous point being in one plane. -- Caustic lime. See under Lime. -- Caustic potash, Caustic soda (Chem.), the solid hydroxides potash, KOH, and soda, NaOH, or solutions of…

a circle, or 360º. -- Circular lines, straight lines pertaining to the circle, as sines, tangents, secants, etc. -- Circular note or letter. (a) (Com.) See under Credit. (b) (Diplomacy) A letter addressed in identical terms to a number of persons. -- Circular numbers (Arith.), those whose powers terminate in the sam…

class leader. Class of a curve (Math.), the kind of a curve as expressed by the number of tangents that can be drawn from any point to the curve. A circle is of the second class. -- Class meeting (Methodist Church), a meeting of a class under the charge of a class leader, for counsel and relegious instruction.…

degree of bending of a mathematical curve, or the tendency at any point to depart from a tangent drawn to the curve at that point. Aberrancy of curvature (Geom.), the deviation of a curve from a curcular form. -Absolute curvature. See under Absolute. -- Angle of curvature (Geom.), one that expresses the amount of cur…

A multiple point of a curve at which two or more branches of the curve have a common tangent.

e or natural horizon; the angle at the eye of an observer between a horizontal line and a tangent drawn from the eye to the surface of the ocean. -- Dip of the needle, or Magnetic dip, the angle formed, in a vertical plane, by a freely suspended magnetic needle, or the line of magnetic force, with a horizontal line; -…