subtended; subtending; subtends
1
a
: to be opposite to and extend from one side to the other of
a hypotenuse subtends a right angle
b
: to fix the angular extent of with respect to a fixed point or object taken as the vertex
a central angle subtended by an arc
the angle subtended at the eye by an object of given width and a fixed distance away
c
: to determine the measure of by marking off the endpoints of
a chord subtends an arc
2
a
: to underlie so as to include
b
: to occupy an adjacent and usually lower position to and often so as to embrace or enclose
a bract that subtends a flower
Examples of subtend in a Sentence
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Before 1967, political borders, however provisional, subtended cultural ones: sovereignty derived from international recognition and the consent of the governed.
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Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 5 June 2017
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Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 5 June 2017
Dictionary Entries Near subtend
Cite this Entry
“Subtend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtend. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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