Dictionary

tangent off en · VERB

Meanings

1. (informal, intransitive, uncommon) Synonym of fly off at a tangent (“to digress from a topic”).
   • Once again, you've avoided directly answering the question. The passage in Job has *absolutely nothing* to do with the topic at hand--would you please try to stay focused on this point instead of tangenting off as you did with the "Peter born-again walking on water" issue? 1998 April 5, RiCHaRD HaRLoS, “KeithK & Heb. 6:4-6”, in alt.christnet.public (Usenet):
   • Tangenting off... did not someone write an SF novel/story some years back about the social consequences when people were fitted with visible arousal indicators? 1992 May 28, the Crisco Kid, “Suitably bi t-shirt...”, in soc.bi (Usenet):
   • Well don't tangent off and focus on that little piece. 2001 December 12, Tony, “C++ being crushed by its own weight?”, in comp.lang.c++ (Usenet):
2. (informal, transitive, uncommon) To digress from (a topic).
   • To an extent... We have tangented off the path so far that no one cares any more. 2004 April 23, Jonathan, “Forcing Theaters to Provide Captions for the Deaf”, in alt.tv.the-west-wing (Usenet):
   • Note how he tangents off the true topic. 2006 December 15, [Ludovic Mirabel] <elmir2m@shaw.ca>, “Better Than ABX?”, in rec.audio.opinion (Usenet):
   • Tangenting off this, for a few years a local strip mall had a rather interesting pairing of stores next to each other. 2003 September 17, Brent Keith, “Short forms that remind you of something else.”, in alt.callahans (Usenet):
   • but i don't see how just because the topic has tangented off one of your responses it's somehow inappropriate; i suspect that others browsing/lurking might find the content enlightening. 2005 February 17, barry, “Gari...How would I know?”, in alt.food.sushi (Usenet):
3. (informal, rare, transitive) To digress from (a place).
   • After numerous laps at steadily freshening velocity, a sudden undertow developed on a 70 m.p.h. curve, the car went tangenting off the hard, plumb between two close-parked bulldozers, and finished up overhanging a 6-ft. drop, its front wheels firmly planted in mid-air. 1948, The Motor, London: Temple Press, →OCLC, page 300, column 2:
   • The slide mark begins just before the apex, essentially tangenting off the turn into the dirt. 2003 October 7, Daniel Bannon, “I don't like Oregon (long)”, in alt.motorcycle.sportbike (Usenet):
   • Flying out, I noticed the ghost route (just the supports) tangented off the airport route. 2001 October 23, Mark F, “Road notes from a trip to Asia”, in misc.transport.road (Usenet):

Forms

Relateds

tangent

Synonyms

fly off at a tangent