1. a trigonometric function equal to one minus the cosine of an angle
Usage: mathematics

Examples

• The versine function was commonly used in navigation calculations before modern computers.
• To calculate the versine of 60 degrees, subtract the cosine from one.
• Early astronomers relied on versine tables for their celestial observations.
• The versine appears in formulas for calculating distances on a sphere.
• Navigation textbooks from the 19th century contain extensive versine tables.