Of course, this noun is first and foremost a math term. It is also used, as you said, to describe a person who makes a sharp or sudden change in their course of action or speech. For example, "my friend really flew off on a tangent when his girlfriend mentioned marriage". The word can be used as an adjective. For example, "my friend presented a lot of arguments tangential to the main point but they had little relevance". Another example might be, "his worries about the cost of an engagement ring were tangential (or incidental) to the discussion of whether they should get married".
Hope this helps