scalene
|sca-lene|
🇺🇸
/ˈskeɪlɪn, ˈskeɪliːn/
🇬🇧
/skəˈliːn, ˈskeɪliːn/
unequal sides / unequal
Etymology
'scalene' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'skalenos', where 'skalenos' meant 'uneven, unequal'.
'scalene' passed into Late Latin as 'scalenus' and later entered English (via New Latin/Scientific Latin and French influences) as 'scalene', used in geometry and anatomy.
Initially, it meant 'uneven' or 'unequal', and over time it kept that core sense while being applied specifically to triangles with unequal sides and to the scalene muscles.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a scalene triangle (used as a noun to refer to such a triangle).
Draw a scalene with side lengths 3, 4, and 6.
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Antonyms
Adjective 1
(geometry) Describing a triangle that has no equal sides; each side has a different length.
A scalene triangle has three sides of different lengths.
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Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/28 15:09