SCALE

scale

(noun) a flattened rigid plate forming part of the body covering of many animals

plate, scale, shell

(noun) a metal sheathing of uniform thickness (such as the shield attached to an artillery piece to protect the gunners)

scale

(noun) an indicator having a graduated sequence of marks

scale, weighing machine

(noun) a measuring instrument for weighing; shows amount of mass

scale, musical scale

(noun) (music) a series of notes differing in pitch according to a specific scheme (usually within an octave)

scale, scurf, exfoliation

(noun) a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin

scale, scale leaf

(noun) a specialized leaf or bract that protects a bud or catkin

scale

(noun) relative magnitude; “they entertained on a grand scale”

scale

(noun) the ratio between the size of something and a representation of it; “the scale of the map”; “the scale of the model”

scale, scale of measurement, graduated table, ordered series

(noun) an ordered reference standard; “judging on a scale of 1 to 10”

scale

(verb) size or measure according to a scale; “This model must be scaled down”

scale

(verb) measure with or as if with scales; “scale the gold”

scale, descale

(verb) remove the scales from; “scale fish”

scale

(verb) pattern, make, regulate, set, measure, or estimate according to some rate or standard

scale

(verb) climb up by means of a ladder

scale, surmount

(verb) reach the highest point of; “We scaled the Mont Blanc”

scale

(verb) take by attacking with scaling ladders; “The troops scaled the walls of the fort”

scale

(verb) measure by or as if by a scale; “This bike scales only 25 pounds”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

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Etymology 1

Noun

scale (plural scales)

(obsolete) A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending.

An ordered, usually numerical sequence used for measurement, means of assigning a magnitude.

Size; scope.

The ratio of depicted distance to actual distance.

A line or bar associated with a drawing, used to indicate measurement when the image has been magnified or reduced.

(music) A series of notes spanning an octave, tritave, or pseudo-octave, used to make melodies.

A mathematical base for a numeral system; radix.

Gradation; succession of ascending and descending steps and degrees; progressive series; scheme of comparative rank or order.

A standard amount of money to be received by a performer or writer, negotiated by a union.

Hyponyms

• (earthquake): Mercalli scale, Richter scale

• (economy): wage scale

(music):

• Arabic scale

• Byzantine Music scale

• chromatic scale

• diatonic scale

• diminished scale

• major scale

• minor scale

• modal scale

• octatonic scale

• pentatonic scale

• Persian scale

• Phrygian dominant scale

• whole tone scale

(physics):

• Celsius scale

• Delisle scale

• Fahrenheit scale

• Kelvin scale

• Newton scale

• Rankin scale

• Réaumur scale

• Rømer scale

• timescale

• (psychology): Kinsey scale

Verb

scale (third-person singular simple present scales, present participle scaling, simple past and past participle scaled)

(transitive) To change the size of something whilst maintaining proportion; especially to change a process in order to produce much larger amounts of the final product.

(transitive) To climb to the top of.

(intransitive, computing) To tolerate significant increases in throughput or other potentially limiting factors.

(transitive) To weigh, measure or grade according to a scale or system.

Hyponyms

• scale back

• scale down

• scale up

Etymology 2

Noun

scale (plural scales)

Part of an overlapping arrangement of many small, flat and hard pieces of keratin covering the skin of an animal, particularly a fish or reptile.

A small piece of pigmented chitin, many of which coat the wings of a butterfly or moth to give them their color.

A flake of skin of an animal afflicted with dermatitis.

Part of an overlapping arrangement of many small, flat and hard protective layers forming a pinecone that flare when mature to release pine nut seeds.

The flaky material sloughed off heated metal.

Scale mail (as opposed to chain mail).

Limescale.

A scale insect.

The thin metallic side plate of the handle of a pocketknife.

Verb

scale (third-person singular simple present scales, present participle scaling, simple past and past participle scaled)

(transitive) To remove the scales of.

Synonym: descale

(intransitive) To become scaly; to produce or develop scales.

(transitive) To strip or clear of scale; to descale.

(transitive) To take off in thin layers or scales, as tartar from the teeth; to pare off, as a surface.

(intransitive) To separate and come off in thin layers or laminae.

(UK, Scotland, dialect) To scatter; to spread.

(transitive) To clean, as the inside of a cannon, by the explosion of a small quantity of powder.

Etymology 3

Noun

scale (plural scales)

A device to measure mass or weight.

Either of the pans, trays, or dishes of a balance or scales.

Usage notes

• The noun is often used in the plural to denote a single device (originally a pair of scales had two pans).

Anagrams

• -clase, Salce, alecs, claes, laces, selca

Source: Wiktionary

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Scale, n. Etym: [AS. scale; perhaps influenced by the kindred Icel. skal balance, dish, akin also to D. schaal a scale, bowl, shell, G. schale, OHG. scala, Dan. skaal drinking cup, bowl, dish, and perh. to E. scale of a fish. Cf. Scale of a fish, Skull the brain case.]

1. The dish of a balance; hence, the balance itself; an instrument or machine for weighing; as, to turn the scale; -- chiefly used in the plural when applied to the whole instrument or apparatus for weighing. Also used figuratively. Long time in even scale The battle hung. Milton. The scales are turned; her kindness weighs no more Now than my vows. Waller.

2. (Astron.)

Definition: The sign or constellation Libra. Platform scale. See under Platform. tip the scales, influence an action so as to change an outcome from one likely result to another.

Scale, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Scaled; p. pr. & vb. n. Scaling.]

Definition: To weigh or measure according to a scale; to measure; also, to grade or vary according to a scale or system. Scaling his present bearing with his past. Shak. To scale, or scale down, a debt, wages, etc., to reduce a debt, etc., according to a fixed ratio or scale. [U.S.]

Scale, n. Etym: [Cf. AS. scealu, scalu, a shell, parings; akin to D. schaal, G. schale, OHG. scala, Dan. & Sw. skal a shell, Dan. skiæl a fish scale, Goth. skalja tile, and E. shale, shell, and perhaps also to scale of a balance; butperhaps rather fr. OF. escale, escaile, F. écaille scale of a fish, and écale shell of beans, pease, egs, nuts, of German origin, and akin to Goth. skalja, G. schale. See Shale.]

1. (Anat.)

Definition: One of the small, thin, membranous, bony or horny pieces which form the covering of many fishes and reptiles, and some mammals, belonging to the dermal part of the skeleton, or dermoskeleton. See Cycloid, Ctenoid, and Ganoid. Fish that, with their fins and shining scales, Glide under the green wave. Milton.

2. Hence, any layer or leaf of metal or other material, resembling in size and thinness the scale of a fish; as, a scale of iron, of bone, etc.

3. (Zoöl.)

Definition: One of the small scalelike structures covering parts of some invertebrates, as those on the wings of Lepidoptera and on the body of Thysanura; the elytra of certain annelids. See Lepidoptera.

4. (Zoöl.)

Definition: A scale insect. (See below.)

5. (Bot.)

Definition: A small appendage like a rudimentary leaf, resembling the scales of a fish in form, and often in arrangement; as, the scale of a bud, of a pine cone, and the like. The name is also given to the chaff on the stems of ferns.

6. The thin metallic side plate of the handle of a pocketknife. See Illust. of Pocketknife.

7. An incrustation deposit on the inside of a vessel in which water is heated, as a steam boiler.

8. (Metal.)

Definition: The thin oxide which forms on the surface of iron forgings. It consists esentially of the magnetic oxide, Fe3O4. Also, a similar coating upon other metals. Covering scale (Zoöl.), a hydrophyllium.

– Ganoid scale (Zoöl.) See under Ganoid.

– Scale armor (Mil.), armor made of small metallic scales overlapping, and fastened upon leather or cloth.

– Scale beetle (Zoöl.), the tiger beetle.

– Scale carp (Zoöl.), a carp having normal scales.

– Scale insect (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of small hemipterous insects belonging to the family Coccidæ, in which the females, when adult, become more or less scalelike in form. They are found upon the leaves and twigs of various trees and shrubs, and often do great damage to fruit trees. See Orange scale,under Orange.

– Scale moss (Bot.), any leafy-stemmed moss of the order Hepaticæ;

– so called from the small imbricated scalelike leaves of most of the species. See Hepatica, 2, and Jungermannia.

Scale, v. t.

1. To strip or clear of scale or scales; as, to scale a fish; to scale the inside of a boiler.

2. To take off in thin layers or scales, as tartar from the teeth; to pare off, as a surface. "If all the mountaines were scaled, and the earth made even." T. Burnet.

3. To scatter; to spread. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]

4. (Gun.)

Definition: To clean, as the inside of a cannon, by the explosion of a small quantity of powder. Totten.

Scale, v. i.

1. To separate and come off in thin layers or laminæ; as, some sandstone scales by exposure. Those that cast their shell are the lobster and crab; the old skins are found, but the old shells never; so it is likely that they scale off. Bacon.

2. To separate; to scatter. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]

Scale, n. Etym: [L. scalae, pl., scala staircase, ladder; akin to scandere to climb. See Scan; cf. Escalade.]

1. A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending. [Obs.]

2. Hence, anything graduated, especially when employed as a measure or rule, or marked by lines at regular intervals. Specifically: (a) A mathematical instrument, consisting of a slip of wood, ivory, or metal, with one or more sets of spaces graduated and numbered on its surface, for measuring or laying off distances, etc., as in drawing, plotting, and the like. See Gunter's scale. (b) A series of spaces marked by lines, and representing proportionately larger distances; as, a scale of miles, yards, feet, etc., for a map or plan. (c) A basis for a numeral system; as, the decimal scale; the binary scale, etc. (d) (Mus.) The graduated series of all the tones, ascending or descending, from the keynote to its octave; -- called also the gamut. It may be repeated through any number of octaves. See Chromatic scale, Diatonic scale, Major scale, and Minor scale, under Chromatic, Diatonic, Major, and Minor.

3. Gradation; succession of ascending and descending steps and degrees; progressive series; scheme of comparative rank or order; as, a scale of being. There is a certain scale of duties . . . which for want of studying in right order, all the world is in confusion. Milton.

4. Relative dimensions, without difference in proportion of parts; size or degree of the parts or components in any complex thing, compared with other like things; especially, the relative proportion of the linear dimensions of the parts of a drawing, map, model, etc., to the dimensions of the corresponding parts of the object that is represented; as, a map on a scale of an inch to a mile. Scale of chords, a graduated scale on which are given the lengths of the chords of arcs from 0º to 90º in a circle of given radius, -- used in measuring given angles and in plotting angles of given numbers of degrees.

Scale, v. t. Etym: [Cf. It. scalare, fr. L. scale, scala. See Scale a ladder.]

Definition: To climb by a ladder, or as if by a ladder; to ascend by steps or by climbing; to clamber up; as, to scale the wall of a fort. Oft have I scaled the craggy oak. Spenser.

Scale, v. i.

Definition: To lead up by steps; to ascend. [Obs.] Satan from hence, now on the lower stair, That scaled by steps of gold to heaven-gate, Looks down with wonder. Milton.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition

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