Se"cant (?), a. [L. secans, -antis, p.pr. of secare to cut. See Section.]
Cutting; divivding into two parts; as, a secant line.
© Webster 1913.
Secant, n. [Cf. F. s'ecante. See Secant, a.]
1. Geom.
A line that cuts another; especially, a straight line cutting a curve in two or more points.
2. Trig.
A right line drawn from the center of a circle through one end of a circular arc, and terminated by a tangent drawn from the other end; the number expressing the ratio line of this line to the radius of the circle. See Trigonometrical function, under Function.
© Webster 1913.