tangent
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++tan·gent /ˈtændʒənt/ noun [countable] 1 go off at a tangent British English, go off on a tangent American English informalTHINK/HAVE THE OPINION THAT to suddenly start thinking or talking about a subject that is only slightly related, or not related at all, to the original subject 突然离开原来的思路；突然离题 Let’s stay with the topic and not go off at a tangent. 我们还是继续讨论正题吧，不要离题。2. technicalHM a straight line that touches the outside of a curve but does not cut across it 切线
Examples from the Corpus
tangent• Never quite abstract, never entirely candid, always at a tangent to the world, Hodgkin is a strangely opaque painter.• After all, tangents are extremely valuable for your writing.• Within the box it is possible to describe slopes and turns as numerical ratios, as tangents.• As for going off at tangents, my dear, I do it myself, hormone balance not withstanding.• All along the way, short tangents beckoned.Origin tangent (1500-1600) Latin present participle of tangere; → TANGIBLEtan·gent nounChineseSyllable
a or to thinking about suddenly talking Corpus subject start
tangent
tan‧gent /ˈtændʒənt/
noun [countable]1. go off at a tangent British English, go off on a tangent American English informal to suddenly start thinking or talking about a subject that is only slightly related, or not related at all, to the original subject:
Let’s stay with the topic and not go off at a tangent.
2. technical a straight line that touches the outside of a curve but does not cut across it
tan‧gent /ˈtændʒənt/
noun [countable]1. go off at a tangent British English, go off on a tangent American English informal to suddenly start thinking or talking about a subject that is only slightly related, or not related at all, to the original subject: 2. technical a straight line that touches the outside of a curve but does not cut across it
