hypotenuse
UK[haɪˈpɒtənjuːz]US[haɪˈpɑːtənjuːs]
n
the longest side of a right-angled triangle, opposite the right angle.
Morpheme Breakdown
hypo
tenuse
hypo
under
tenuse
stretch
Etymology
the word "hypotenuse" has a beautifully literal geometric origin in ancient greek. it derives from the phrase "hypoteinousa (grammē)", meaning "a line stretching under". this described the side of a right-angled triangle that "stretches under" the right angle. the greek "hypo-" (under) and "teinein" (to stretch) were combined to form "hypoteinousa". entering english via latin, the term was adopted into its modern mathematical sense, precisely naming the side subtending the right angle.
Analysis
Structure: hypo (under) + tenuse (stretch)
- hypo: from greek, meaning "under".
- tenuse: from a reduced form of the greek "teinein" (to stretch), appearing here as a substring of the english spelling.
Examples
the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.
to find the length of the hypotenuse, you can use the pythagorean theorem.
the ladder, leaning against the wall, acted as the hypotenuse of a right triangle.