scale

SaySKAYLUK/skeɪl//skæɪl/

Pluralscales

Verbscales, scaling, scaled

28 meanings of scale

Practice

1
sizenouncountable or uncountable
How big or wide something is.
We didn't expect the scale of the damage after the storm.
The party was planned on a huge scale.
UsageSay the scale of the damage, or on a large scale.
Similarsize, extent, scope, magnitude, breadth
Note
2
make biggerverbtransitive
To make something bigger or smaller while keeping the same shape.
Like a copier that makes a picture bigger but keeps the same shape.
You can scale the photo to fit the page.
They scaled the recipe to feed fifty people.
UsageOften scale up (make bigger) or scale down (make smaller).
Similarresize, expand, enlarge, adjust
3
nouncountable
A range of numbers or levels used to measure something or to rank things from lowest to highest.
Rate your pain on a scale from one to ten.
The test uses a scale that goes up to one hundred.
UsageSay on a scale of one to ten.
Note
4
weighing machinenouncountable
A tool used to find out how heavy something is.
Like a seesaw that tips down on the heavier side.
She put the apples on the scale at the store.
Our bathroom scale needs new batteries.
UsageYou can say the scale or the scales.
Similarbalance
5
nouncountable or uncountable
One of the small, thin, hard pieces that cover the skin of fish and snakes, or a butterfly's wings.
Like roof tiles that lie over each other to cover a roof.
The fish had shiny scales running along its sides.
He scraped a loose scale off the trout.
Note
6
nouncountable
How much smaller or bigger a map, model, or picture is than the real thing, or a line showing this.
Like a small map where one inch stands for a whole mile in real life.
The map's scale shows one inch for every mile.
At this scale, the whole city fits on one page.
UsageSay a map is drawn to scale, or at a scale of one to fifty.
Similarratio
Note
7
musical notesnouncountable
A set of musical notes arranged in order from low to high.
Like climbing a ladder one note at a time from low to high.
She practiced the scale on her piano every morning.
Singers warm up by going through a scale.
UsageMusicians practice scales to get better.
Note
8
verbintransitive
To keep working well even when there is much more to handle.
Like a small shop that still serves everyone quickly even when a big crowd comes in.
This app does not scale when millions of users join.
Their system scaled well during the holiday rush.
UsageSay a system scales well, or won't scale.
Note
9
climbverbtransitive
To climb up to the top of something high.
Like an ant climbing all the way up a tall wall.
The team will scale the cliff at dawn.
She scaled the wall to reach the roof.
Similarclimb, ascend, mount, surmount
Oppositedescend
Note

Less common meanings

10
chalky depositnoununcountable
The hard, chalky layer left behind by hard water in kettles and pipes.
Like the white crust left inside an old kettle.
Thick scale had built up inside the old kettle.
Vinegar helps remove scale from the showerhead.
UsageAlso called limescale. Scale builds up in kettles.
Similarlimescale, fur, deposit
Note
11
measure amountverbtransitive
To measure, rank, or grade something using a fixed system of levels.
Like giving each thing a number so you can see how big or how good it is.
Workers scale each log to see how much lumber it holds.
A forester scaled the logs before the truck left the woods.
Similargrade, rate, measure, assess, rank
Note
12
clean fishverbtransitive
To take the scales off a fish before cooking it.
Dad will scale the fish before frying it.
She scaled the trout at the kitchen sink.
UsageCooks scale and gut a fish.
Similardescale
13
pay ratenoununcountable
A fixed rate of pay set for a job or a service.
The actor agreed to work for scale on the small film.
Musicians on the tour were all paid at scale.
UsageSay an actor works for scale, with no a or the.
Similarrate, minimum
Note
14
verbintransitive
To grow a covering of small, hard flakes.
Like skin getting so dry that little flakes start to form.
The rash may itch, turn red, and scale.
Her hands scaled badly from the harsh soap.
Similarflake, peel
15
nouncountable or uncountable
A tiny insect that sticks to plants and feeds on their sap, or the plant problem these insects cause.
Like a tiny bug that grips a plant under a little shield.
Gardeners often find scale clinging to the stems of houseplants.
She scraped the scale off the orchid leaves with a cotton swab.
16
pinecone partnouncountable or uncountable
One of the hard, flat pieces that make up a pinecone and open to let the seeds out.
Like the hard flat pieces of a pinecone that open up like little doors to let the seeds out.
Each scale on the pinecone lifted as it dried in the sun.
The squirrel pried back every scale to reach the seeds.
17
verbtransitive
To clean off a hard layer that has built up, such as limescale in pipes or tartar on teeth.
Like scrubbing the hard white stuff out of an old kettle.
The dentist will scale your teeth to remove the hard buildup.
The hygienist scaled my teeth before she polished them.
18
dead skinnouncountable or uncountable
Dry, flaky skin shed by an animal with a skin problem.
Like the dry, flaky skin that can form when skin is sore or sick.
The vet noticed scale around the dog's ears and recommended treatment.
Thick scale had built up on the cat's irritated skin.
Similardandruff, scurf, flakes
19
peel offverbintransitive
To peel away in thin, flat pieces.
Like old paint peeling off a wall in little flakes.
Old paint began to scale off the iron railings.
The rusty layer scaled away as the metal cooled.
UsageOften scale off: old paint scales off.
Similarflake, peel, exfoliate
Note
20
armornouncountable or uncountable
Armor made of many small, flat plates that overlap like fish scales.
Like a shirt made of many little metal flakes that overlap like a fish's skin.
The warrior's tunic was sewn with overlapping iron scale.
Soldiers wore scale to guard against sword blows.
21
measure off drawingverbtransitive
To measure sizes directly off a drawing, even though it may not be exact.
Like guessing a real distance by holding a ruler against a small map.
Never scale the blueprint to find the exact length of a part.
The apprentice scaled the drawing instead of reading the printed sizes.
UsageUsually in warnings: do not scale this drawing.
Similarmeasure
Note
22
noundated
One of the flat dishes on a balance that hold what you weigh.
23
noun
The flaky bits that fall off metal when it gets very hot.
24
noundated
The base number that a counting system is built on, like ten in our number system.
25
noun
The thin flat plate that forms the side of a pocketknife's handle.
26
nounobsolete
Something like a ladder that helps you climb up.
27
verbdialectalScotlandUK
To throw things around so they spread out.
28
verb
To fire a tiny gunpowder blast in a cannon to clear it out.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of scale apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–3, 6–9, 11, 13, 21

From Latin "scala," meaning a ladder or flight of steps, from the verb "scando," meaning "I climb."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 4 facts

Scale derives from Latin scala. en.wiktionary.org
Latin scala means a ladder; its plural scalae means a flight of steps. en.wiktionary.org
Scala derives from the verb scando. en.wiktionary.org
Scando means I climb, being the first-person singular present active form. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 5, 10, 12, 14–20

From Old French "escale," from Germanic roots meaning shell or husk.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Scale derives from Old French escale. en.wiktionary.org
The Germanic ancestor meant shell or husk. en.wiktionary.org

Meaning 4

From Old Norse "skál," meaning "bowl."