tangent
17
6.1
- noun
- /ˈtæn.dʒənt/
- Informal
:
digresión
- During the lecture, the professor went off on a tangent about his favorite hobbies.
- go off on tangents
So let me ask sort of a quick tangent on the Voyager.
- So let me ask sort of a quick tangent on the Voyager.
- Isn't this a weird tangent that we are on?
- The brine question, just a tangent here for a second.
- Let's just since we're on a tangent, it's like underwear and and books.
- So, you know, stop getting off on tangents, cocks on topic.
- I know that I, I, I keep piling on little tangents.
- If it can take a bit of a tangent on so many things.
- Also something that intrigues me again, complete tangent N is on TikTok as we know.
Examples
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So didn't mean to go off on that tangent, sorry.
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Now, I could start off with a million stories about my summers at Camp Awe Sum, but I wouldn't want to go off on a tangent!
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Yeah, it is going off on a tangent, but I enjoyed.
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Anyway, I got off on a tangent, but I, I feel the same way.
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OK, sorry, tangent, but what about the Great Depression?
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At first, I thought that Nick merely departed on a tangent now and then.
Blog text (14) -
Isn't this a weird tangent that we are on?
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Have you gone off on tangents without good cause?
Academic text (2010) -
That's kind of a random tangent, but something to keep in mind.
Blog text (18) -
I am sure there are other forums where other arguments and tangents can be discussed in detail.
Blog text (6)
Synonyms
6
7.0
A short break from the main subject when talking or writing
Antonyms
Compounds
- Specialized
1
6.5
A math function that gives the angle whose tangent equals a number
How Related
Surface Forms
Etymology
Tangent for a change of subject uses the same Latin tangere 'to touch' and the picture of a line that 'touches' a curve then moves away. A helpful way to remember this is to imagine a speaker 'touching' a new idea and then going off in a different direction, which is why going 'off on a tangent' means changing the topic.