Scalene
/ˈskeɪ.liːn/noun
Having three unequal sides and angles, or differing in size or shape from side to side.
Did you know?Scalene comes from Greek *skalenos*, meaning “uneven” or “limping,” and its root also lives in words like *asphalt* and *schism* through the idea of splitting or unevenness.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*skel-
“to bend, lean, or make crooked”
Ancient Greek
Greek
skalenos
“uneven, unequal, or lop-sided”
Late Latin
Latin
scalenus
“unequal-sided; oblique”
16th Century
English
scalene
“unequal-sided, especially in geometry”
Modern English
English
scalene
“having all sides or angles unequal, especially of a triangle”
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