DictionaryRoot: tangere
Latin

tangere

touch

Forms

  • tang-
  • tact- — Latin stem of the form meaning ‘touched.’
  • -ting- — Used in Latin compounds.

Origin

Reconstructed Proto-Indo-European *tag-, ‘touch.’

Note

Touching can mean affecting something without physically reaching it.

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noun / adjective

tangent

A line touching a curve with the same direction at contact.

Etymology

The Latin verb means touching. The line is named for touching the curve while sharing its direction at the contact point.

Full entry

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