scalene

adjective

sca·​lene ˈskā-ˌlēn 

skā-ˈlēn

of a triangle

: having the three sides of unequal length see triangle illustration

Examples of scalene in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Surgery for the injury involves removal of the first rib and two small scalene muscles and scar tissue around the affected nerves, according to the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. —Matt Kawahara, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2021

The third leg of the scalene triangle is the capped I-91. —Tom Condon, courant.com, 19 Mar. 2021

There's enough punch up and down the tach to regularly exercise the traction control as well as your scalene muscles. —Scott Oldham, Car and Driver, 2 Oct. 2020

The elliptical motion of those legs, combined with its scalene triangle body shape, given the machine inherent stability. —David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, 3 May 2017

Using an exercise from the DAoM book Games and Puzzles, Strogatz handed each of his students a pair of scissors, as well as a piece of paper with a scalene triangle drawn in the middle of it. —Jessica Lahey, The Atlantic, 6 Oct. 2014

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin scalenus, from Greek skalēnos, literally, uneven; perhaps akin to Greek skolios crooked, skelos leg — more at isosceles

First Known Use

1734, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

scalene

adjective

sca·​lene ˈskā-ˌlēn 

skā-ˈlēn

: having sides that are each a different length

a scalene triangle

Medical Definition

scalene

1 of 2 adjective

sca·​lene ˈskā-ˌlēn, skā-ˈ 

: of, relating to, or being a scalenus muscle

scalene

2 of 2 noun

: scalenus

called also scalene muscle