"tangent" in Chinese (Traditional)

• 切線
• 離題的話

Definition

僅在一點接觸曲線（不交叉）的直線。非正式上，也指談話時突然扯到其他話題。

Usage Notes (Chinese (Traditional))

在數學中屬正式語，意指精確的「切線」；口語中“go off on a tangent”常比喻談話離題。不要與“topic”本意混淆。

Examples

A tangent touches the circle at only one point.

**切線**只在一點接觸圓。

He loves to talk about math, especially about the tangent of a curve.

他喜歡談論數學，特別是曲線的**切線**。

Try not to go off on a tangent during your presentation.

演講時盡量不要**離題**。

We were talking about movies, but then she went off on a tangent about her cat.

我們在聊電影，結果她忽然**扯到**她的貓。

The math problem asks for where the line is tangent to the parabola.

這道數學題問直線在哪一點與拋物線**相切**。

Sorry, I went on a tangent—let's get back to the main point.

不好意思，我剛剛**扯遠了**——我們回到正題吧。