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Tangent vs Variant - What's the difference?

tangent | variant |

As nouns the difference between tangent and variant

is that tangent is (geometry) a straight line touching a curve at a single point without crossing it there while variant is something that is slightly different from a type or norm.

As adjectives the difference between tangent and variant

is that tangent is (geometry) touching a curve at a single point but not crossing it at that point while variant is showing variety, diverse.

tangent

Noun

(en noun)
  • (geometry) A straight line touching a curve at a single point without crossing it there.
  • (trigonometry) In a right triangle, the ratio of the length of the side opposite the angle to the length of the side adjacent to the angle. Symbols: tan, tg
  • A topic nearly unrelated to the main topic, but having a point in common with it.
  • I believe we went off onto a tangent when we started talking about monkeys on unicycles at his retirement party.
  • *{{quote-book, year=1928, author=Lawrence R. Bourne
  • , title=Well Tackled! , chapter=1 citation , passage=“Uncle Barnaby was always father and mother to me,” Benson broke in; then after a pause his mind flew off at a tangent . “Is old Hannah all right—in the will, I mean?”}}
  • * 2009 : Stuart Heritage], [http://www.hecklerspray.com/ Hecklerspray] , Friday the 22nd of May in 2009 at 1 o’clock p.m., “[http://www.hecklerspray.com/jon-kate-latest-people-you-dont-know-do-crap-you-dont-care-about/200934378.php Jon & Kate Latest: People You Don’t Know Do Crap You Don’t Care About
  • Jon & Kate Plus 8'' is a show based on two facts: (1)''' Jon and Kate Gosselin have eight children, and '''(2)''' the word ‘Kate’ rhymes with the word ‘eight’. One suspects that if Kate were ever to have another child, a shady network executive would urge her to put it in a binbag with a brick and drop it down a well. But this is just a horrifying ' tangent .
  • A small metal blade by which a clavichord produces sound.
  • Derived terms

    * arctangent * cotangent * hyberbolic tangent

    Adjective

    (-)
  • (geometry) Touching a curve at a single point but not crossing it at that point.
  • Of a topic, only loosely related to a main topic.
  • See also

    * cosine * non sequitur * sine * trigonometry ----

    variant

    English

    Alternative forms

    * variaunt (obsolete)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Showing variety, diverse.
  • Showing deviation or disagreement.
  • (obsolete) Variable.
  • Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something that is slightly different from a type or norm.
  • All breeds of dog are variants of the species “Canis lupus familiaris”.
    The word "kerosine" is a variant of “kerosene”.
  • (genetics) A different sequence of a gene (locus).
  • (computing) A variable that can hold any of various unrelated data types.
  • See also

    * alternate * alternative ----