An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

The → secant of the complement of an arc or angle; abbreviation csc. If θ is an → acute angle of a → right triangle, csc θ = → hypotenuse/(opposite side).

→ co-; → secante.

1) Geometry: A straight line that intersects a curve in two or more points.
2) Trigonometry: For an → acute angle of a → right triangle, the function defined as the ratio of the → hypotenuse to the adjacent side. For any angle, the function defined as the ratio of the → radius vector to the → abscissa. Abbreviation sec.

From L. secant-, stem of secans, pr.p. of secare "to cut," → section.

1) Sekanjân, agent noun from sekanjidan "to shave, cut, scape," cognate with šekastan "to break," → section.
2) Sekânt, loan from Fr.