isosceles
|i-so-scel-es|
🇺🇸
/ˌaɪsəˈsɛlɪz/
🇬🇧
/ˌaɪsəˈsɛliːz/
two equal sides
Etymology
'isosceles' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'isos' and 'skelos', where 'isos' meant 'equal' and 'skelos' meant 'leg'.
'isosceles' comes from the Greek compound 'isoskelēs' (ἰσοσκελής), passed into Late Latin and then into Middle English, eventually becoming the modern English 'isosceles'.
Initially, it literally meant 'equal-legged', and over time it came to be used specifically for triangles with two equal sides (the modern meaning).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a triangle that has two sides of equal length (short for 'isosceles triangle').
The students drew an isosceles with a base of 6 cm and two equal sides of 5 cm.
Antonyms
Adjective 1
having two sides of equal length (usually said of a triangle).
An isosceles triangle has two equal sides and two equal base angles.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/19 02:19