What does the word tangent mean?

Usage examples for tangent

  1. " I've never seen you go off on a wild tangent like this before! – Fifty Per Cent Prophet by Gordon Randall Garrett
  2. The next moment the ball flew from his hand and, describing an outcurve, grazed the tangent point of Eschenbach's waist- line into the outstretched palm of Max Croplin. – The Competitive Nephew by Montague Glass
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