1. the reciprocal of the sine of an angle in a right triangle; the ratio of the hypotenuse to the side opposite the angle
Usage: mathematics; trigonometry

Examples

• The cosecant of 30 degrees equals 2.
• To find the cosecant, divide 1 by the sine of the angle.
• The cosecant function is undefined when the sine equals zero.
• Students often confuse cosecant with secant in trigonometry class.
• The graph of cosecant has vertical asymptotes where sine equals zero.
• Cosecant is abbreviated as csc in mathematical notation.