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1
: a trigonometric function that for an acute angle is the ratio between the leg adjacent to the angle when it is considered part of a right triangle and the hypotenuse
2
: a trigonometric function cos θ that for all real numbers θ is given by the sum of the alternating series 1x22!+x44!x66!+x88! and that is exactly equal to the cosine of an angle of measure θ in radians

Examples of cosine in a Sentence

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During retrieval, the system converts the user's query into an embedding using the same neural model, then searches the vector database for chunks whose embeddings have the highest cosine similarity to the query embedding. Meghana Puvvadi, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025 Six hundred years ago, mathematicians were building tables of sines and cosines, which were needed for navigation, but these can now be generated by computers in seconds. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin cosinus, from co- + Medieval Latin sinus sine

First Known Use

1635, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cosine was in 1635

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Cite this Entry

“Cosine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosine. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

: a trigonometric function that is the ratio between the side next to an acute angle in a right triangle and the hypotenuse

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