tangent

1. A straight line touching a curve at a single point without crossing it there.
2. A function of an angle that gives the ratio of the sine to the cosine, in either the real or complex numbers. Symbols: tan, tg.
3. A course suddenly and unexpectedly divergent from one which was previously being followed (especially one embarked on before reaching the end of the previous course).
4. A new topic of discussion unrelated to the one which came before it, arrived at due to a single (peripheral or trivial) point in common with it.
5. A visual interaction between two or more lines or edges that creates a perceived relationship between them, often in a way that the artist did not intend.
6. A small metal blade in a clavichord or other instrument that strikes the strings to produce sound.

Plural tangents