A tangent, in geometry, is a straight line through a point on a curve that has the same direction at that point as the curve.
Tangent may also refer to:
Mathematics Analogous concepts for surfaces and higher-dimensional smooth manifolds, such as the tangent space More generally, in geometry, two curves are said to be tangent when they intersect at a given point and have the same direction at that point; see for instance tangent circles Bitangent, a line that is tangent to two different curves, or tangent twice to the same curve The tangent function, one of the six basic trigonometric functions
Music Tangent (clavichord), a part of the action of the clavichord that both initiates and sustains a tone, and helps determine pitch Tangent (tangent piano), a part of the action of the tangent piano that only initiates the sound by striking the string(s) and rebounding immediately in the manner of a piano The Tangent, an international progressive rock supergroup Tangents: The Tea Party Collection, a compilation album from The Tea Party released in 2000. Tangents: 1973–1983, a compilation box set from Tangerine Dream released in 1994. Tangents (band), an Australian musical group
Entertainment Tangent Comics, a short-lived imprint of DC Comics "The Tangent Universe", the alternate universe in time travel in the cult film Donnie Darko Tangent (Stargate SG-1), an episode of the television series Stargate SG-1 Tangents (film) or Time Chasers, a 1994 science fiction film Tangents (collection), a collection of science fiction stories by Greg Bear
Geography Tangent, Alberta, a hamlet in Alberta, Canada Tangent, Oregon, a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States The Tangent Line, part of the Mason–Dixon line between Delaware and Maryland, United States Tangente River, a tributary of the Wawagosic River, in Quebec, Canada
Other uses Tangent (club), an international social networking group for women over 45 Track transition curve, a straight section of road or track in highway and railroad design