I. ˈsēˌkant, -ˌkaa(ə)nt, -_kənt adjective
Etymology: Latin secant-, secans, present participle of secare to cut — more at saw
: cutting
a secant line
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: New Latin secant-, secans, from Latin, present participle of secare
1. : a straight line cutting a curve at two or more points
2.
a. : a straight line drawn from the center of a circle through one end of a circular arc to a tangent drawn from the other end of the arc
b. : the ratio of this line to the radius of the circle : the reciprocal of the cosine — abbr. sec
III. noun
: a trigonometric function sec θ that is the reciprocal of the cosine for all real numbers θ for which the cosine is not zero and that is exactly equal to the secant of an angle of measure θ in radians