# scaling

Pronunciation: say "SKAY-ling" /ˈskeɪlɪŋ/

## Noun

1. The act of climbing or making one's way up a steep surface.
   - Simple: The act of climbing up something tall and steep, like a wall or cliff.
   - _The scaling of the north face demanded three days of steady effort._
   - _Free-solo scaling of granite faces leaves no room for a single mistake._
3. The removal of a built-up layer of hard mineral crust from a surface, such as limescale inside pipes.
   - Simple: The job of taking a hard crusty layer off a surface, like inside a kettle.
   - _Annual scaling of the heat exchanger restored its efficiency._
   - _The kettle needed a thorough scaling after months of hard water._
4. The forming of a layer of hard mineral crust on a surface over time.
   - Simple: The slow build-up of a hard crusty layer on a surface over time.
   - _Scaling on the boiler tubes lowers heat transfer and raises fuel costs._
   - _Engineers added a softener to prevent scaling throughout the system._
5. The removal of the protective scales from a fish, usually before cooking.
   - Simple: The job of taking the small flat plates off a fish before cooking.
   - _The scaling of the salmon left flakes scattered across the counter._
   - _Fishmongers do the scaling quickly with a blunt-edged blade._
6. The measurement of dimensions by means of a graduated scale or rule.
   - Simple: Measuring the size of something using a marked ruler or tool.
   - _Accurate scaling of the blueprint is essential before construction begins._
   - _The surveyor's scaling of the plan converted inches into actual feet._
7. The adjustment of raw measurement data to fit an expected distribution, as when exam results are fitted to a normal distribution.
   - Simple: Adjusting raw numbers so they fit an expected pattern, like exam marks.
   - _Examiners used scaling to bring this year's results into line with earlier cohorts._
   - _The reported grade reflects scaling rather than the raw test score._
8. The expression of an equation's terms using powers of dimensionless quantities.
   - Simple: Rewriting an equation using numbers that have no units.
   - _Scaling reduced the model to a single governing dimensionless group._
   - _Through scaling, the researchers showed which terms could be safely ignored._
9. The adjustment of the sights on a ship's guns to set them for a given range.
   - Simple: Setting the aiming sights on a ship's guns so they hit the target.
   - _The officer ordered scaling of the forward guns to the enemy's range._
   - _Accurate scaling allowed the broadside to land on target._

## Verb

2. Present participle of scale. — present participle and gerund of scale
   - Simple: Present participle of scale. Use this -ing form for an action happening right now.
   - _The team is scaling the mountain in carefully planned stages._
   - _The company is scaling its operations across several European markets._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/scaling (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).