scalene

[ skey-leen ]

adjective

Geometry.
- (of a cone or the like) having the axis inclined to the base.
- (of a triangle) having three unequal sides.
Anatomy. of or relating to a scalenus muscle.

Origin of scalene

1635–45; <Late Latin scalēnus<Greek skalēnós unequal

Words Nearby scalene

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use scalene in a sentence

Of triangles there are two kinds; one having the opposite sides equal (isosceles), the other with unequal sides (scalene).
Timaeus | Plato
The first solid is a regular pyramid, of which the base and sides are formed by four equilateral or twenty-four scalene triangles.
Timaeus | Plato
Now of the two triangles, the isosceles has one form only; the scalene or unequal-sided has an infinite number.
Timaeus | Plato
A scalene triangle abc might also be employed, or a tetrahedron.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 14, Slice 2 | Various
The points we occupied respectively formed a scalene triangle.
Gorillas & Chimpanzees | R. L. Garner

British Dictionary definitions for scalene

scalene

/ (ˈskeɪliːn) /

adjective

maths (of a triangle) having all sides of unequal length
anatomy of or relating to any of the scalenus muscles

Origin of scalene

C17: from Late Latin scalēnus with unequal sides, from Greek skalēnos

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for scalene

scalene

[ skā′lēn′ ]

Having three unequal sides, as a triangle that is neither equilateral nor isosceles.

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