The crossword solution for the term 'cosine or secant, e.g.' is 'RATIO'. A RATIO is a comparison of two numbers or quantities. It is usually expressed as a fraction, with the numerator being the first number and the denominator being the second number. Ratios are used to compare two different values, such as the cosine or secant of an angle. The cosine and secant of an angle are ratios of the sides of a right triangle. The cosine is the RATIO of the adjacent side to the hypotenuse, while the secant is the RATIO of the opposite side to the hypotenuse.