secant
/ˈsiːkənt/noun
1
- （缩略词：sec.）Mathematics the ratio of the hypotenuse to the shorter side adjacent to an acute angle (in a right-angled triangle); the reciprocal of a cosine【数】正切; 余弦的倒数。
2
- Geometry a straight line that cuts a curve in two or more parts【几何】割线。
词源
late 16th cent.; from French sécante, based on Latin secare 'to cut'.