# hypotenuse

> English word · Noun · IPA /haɪˈpɒtənjuːz/ · frequency rank #78,700

## Definitions
1. The side of a right triangle opposite the right angle.

## Etymology
From Latin hypotenusa, from Ancient Greek ὑποτείνουσα πλευρά (hupoteínousa pleurá, “side subtending [the right angle]”), from ὑποτείνουσα (hupoteínousa, “stretching, extending, subtending”), active participle of ὑποτείνω (hupoteínō, “subtend, stretch under”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/hypotenuse