scalableadj.
/ˈskeɪləb(ə)l/ I. Senses relating to climbing.
1. Able to be scaled or climbed. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > upward movement > [adjective] > climbing > that may be climbed
scalable1579
mountable1596
climbable1611
transcendible1684
ascendable1755
ascendible1864
1579–80 T. North tr. Aratus in Plutarch Lives (1595) 1083 Without the wall the height was not so great, but that it was easily scalable with ladders.
1626 J. Minsheu Ductor in Linguas (ed. 2) Scaleable.
1839 Fraser's Mag. 19 632 Homer made..heaven scalable.
1903 A. Quiller-Couch Adventures Harry Revel xi The cliff hereabouts was..scalable in a score of places.
II. Senses relating to grading or scale.
2. Able to be measured or graded according to a scale.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > measurement > [adjective] > that measures or regulates by a scale > that has been measured by a scale > capable of being
rateable1503
scalable1936
1936 Psychol. Monogr. XLVII. i. 15 A few [traits] seem common enough to be regarded as comparable from one individual to another. These might be called common or scalable traits.
1944 Amer. Sociol. Rev. 9 147/1 The example..of desire to go to school is a fictitious version of data that have actually proved scalable for the Army.
1968 W. A. Scott in G. Lindzey & E. Aronson Handbk. Social Psychol. (ed. 2) II. xi. 222 A measure of the degree to which the set of items is scalable, that is, represents a unidimensional attribute.
1977 R. H. Brown in J. D. Douglas & J. M. Johnson Existential Sociol. ii. 81 The questionnaire was particularly attractive as a measuring device because it standardizes responses, making them easily scalable and retrievable, in principle by anyone.
3. Able to be changed in scale. rare.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > extension in space > measurable spatial extent > [adjective] > capable of being changed in scale
scalable1977
the world > relative properties > measurement > [adjective] > that measures or regulates by a scale > capable of being changed in scale
scalable1977
1977 Jrnl. Royal Soc. Arts 125 770/1 Such lasers are scaleable since large volumes could be pumped uniformly.
Derivatives
scalaˈbility n. the property of being scalable.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > measurement > [noun] > measurement or grading according to scale > ability to be scaled
scalability1944
1944 Amer. Sociol. Rev. 9 141/2 It may well be that the formal analysis for scalability may help clarify uncertain areas of content.
1959 Psychol. Rev. 66 51/2 Ordinarily, when scalability is found, it is assumed that a unidimensional continuum exists.
1960 Brown & Gilman in T. A. Sebeok Style in Lang. 271 We tested all 28 items for scalability and found that a subset of them made a fairly good scale.
1978 Sci. Amer. Nov. 44/2 It took demonstrations of the scalability of the technology and tests of improved beam focusing..to catalyze an effort that led to support by the AEC.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1910; most recently modified version published online June 2019).
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adj.1579