vers

IPA/vˈɜːz/
KK[vˈɚs]IPA/vˈərs/

vers — abbreviation

1. a short written form of 'versed sine' — a mathematical function equal to 1 minus

1.縮寫C2
釋義

a short written form of 'versed sine' — a mathematical function equal to 1 minus the cosine of an angle, formerly used in navigation and astronomy before electronic calculators became common.

例句

Zola used a vers table to find the position of her ship at sea.

collocation: vers table / versine table

The vers of a 30-degree angle equals 1 minus the cosine of 30 degrees.

grammar pattern: vers of [angle]

同義詞
  • versed sine

    the full name that vers abbreviates; identical in meaning but formal

用法筆記

Rarely used today — replaced by the cosine function in modern mathematics. Appears mainly in historical texts on navigation, astronomy, and the history of mathematics.

常見錯誤

❌The vers of 45° is 0.5.
✅The vers of 45° is approximately 0.293.
💡vers(θ) = 1 − cos(θ), so vers(45°) = 1 − √2/2 ≈ 0.293, not 0.5 (which would be cos(60°)).