right triangle

American  

noun

1. a triangle having a right angle (contrasted with oblique triangle).

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right triangle British  

noun

1. Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): right-angled triangle.  a triangle one angle of which is a right angle

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right triangle Scientific  

1. A triangle having a right angle.

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right triangle Cultural  

1. A triangle that contains a right angle.

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Etymology

Origin of right triangle

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

The Pythagorean theorem provides an equation to calculate the longer side of a right triangle by summing the squares of the other two sides.

From Scientific American • Apr. 10, 2023

In this equation, a, b and c represent the lengths of the three sides of a right triangle, a triangle with a 90-degree angle between two of its sides.

From Scientific American • Apr. 10, 2023

You may also remember the simple equation, discovered by Pythagoras thousands of years ago, that describes a right triangle: A squared + B squared = C squared.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 12, 2022

The numbers 3 and 4 represent the measurements of each leg of a right triangle in which 5 is the length of the hypotenuse.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 12, 2022

The waving man at the peak of the right triangle is the climax of this mood of rising hope and advancing motion.

From "The Annotated Mona Lisa" by Carol Strickland and John Boswell