Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense scales, present participle scaling, past tense, past participle scaled
1. singular noun
If you refer to the scale of something, you are referring to its size or extent, especially when it is very big.
However, he underestimates the scale of the problem. [+ of]
You may feel dwarfed by the sheer scale of the place.
The break-down of law and order could result in killing on a massive scale.
The British aid programme is small in scale.
Synonyms: degree, size, range, spread More Synonyms of scale
2. See also full-scale, large-scale, small-scale
3. countable noun
A scale is a set of levels or numbers which are used in a particular system of measuring things or are used when comparing things.
...an earthquake measuring five-point-five on the Richter scale.
The patient rates the therapies on a scale of zero to ten.
The higher up the social scale they are, the more the men have to lose.
Synonyms: system of measurement, register, measuring system, graduated system More Synonyms of scale
4. See also sliding scale, timescale
5. countable noun
A pay scale or scaleof fees is a list that shows how much someone should be paid, depending, for example, on their age or what work they do.
[British]
...those on the high end of the pay scale.
A Registered Osteopath will be pleased to tell you his scale of fees before you decideon a consultation.
6. countable noun
The scale of a map, plan, or model is the relationship between the size of something in the map, plan,or model and its size in the real world.
The map, on a scale of 1:10,000, shows over 5,000 individual paths. [+ of]
Synonyms: ratio, proportion, relative size More Synonyms of scale
7. See also full-scale, large-scale
8. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
A scale model or scale replica of a building or object is a model of it which is smaller than the real thing buthas all the same parts and features.
Franklin made his mother an intricately detailed scale model of the house.
9. countable noun
In music, a scale is a fixed sequence of musical notes, each one higher than the next, which begins at a particular note.
...the scale of C major. [+ of]
10. countable noun [usually plural]
The scales of a fish or reptile are the small, flat pieces of hard skin that cover its body.
11. plural noun [oft a pair ofNOUN]
Scales are a piece of equipment used for weighing things, for example for weighing amountsof food that you need in order to make a particular meal.
...a pair of kitchen scales.
...bathroom scales.
I step on the scales practically every morning.
Synonyms: weighing machine, balance, scale, weigh beam More Synonyms of scale
12. verb
If you scale something such as a mountain or a wall, you climb up it or over it.
[written]
...Rebecca Stephens, the first British woman to scale Everest. [VERB noun]
The men scaled a wall and climbed down scaffolding on the other side. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: climb up, mount, go up, ascend More Synonyms of scale
13.
See out of scale
14.
See to scale
Phrasal verbs:
See scale back
See scale down
See scale up
More Synonyms of scale
scale in British English1
(skeɪl)
noun
1.
any of the numerous plates, made of various substances resembling enamel or dentine, covering the bodies of fishes
2.
a.
any of the horny or chitinous plates covering a part or the entire body of certain reptiles and mammals
b.
any of the numerous minute structures covering the wings of lepidoptera
▶ Related adjective: squamous
3.
a thin flat piece or flake
4.
a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the skin: excessive shedding may be the result of a skin disease
5.
a specialized leaf or bract, esp the protective covering of a bud or the dry membranous bract of a catkin
6. scale insect
7.
a flaky black oxide of iron formed on the surface of iron or steel at high temperatures
8.
any oxide formed on a metal during heat treatment
9. another word for limescale
verb
10. (transitive)
to remove the scales or coating from
11.
to peel off or cause to peel off in flakes or scales
12. (intransitive)
to shed scales
13.
to cover or become covered with scales, incrustation, etc
14. (transitive)
to throw (a disc or thin flat object) edgewise through the air or along the surface of water
15. (intransitive) Australian informal
to ride on public transport without paying a fare
16. (transitive) South Africa slang
to steal (something)
Derived forms
scalelike (ˈscaleˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
C14: from Old French escale, of Germanic origin; compare Old English scealushell
scale in British English2
(skeɪl)
noun
1. (often plural)
a machine or device for weighing
2.
one of the pans of a balance
3. tip the scales
verb(transitive)
4.
to weigh with or as if with scales
5.
to have a weight of
Word origin
C13: from Old Norse skāl bowl, related to Old High German scāla cup, Old English scealushell, scale1
scale in British English3
(skeɪl)
noun
1.
a sequence of marks either at regular intervals or else representing equal steps, used as a reference in making measurements
2.
a measuring instrument having such a scale
3.
a.
the ratio between the size of something real and that of a model or representation of it
the scale of the map was so large that we could find our house on it
b.
(as modifier)
a scale model
4.
a line, numerical ratio, etc, for showing this ratio
5.
a progressive or graduated table of things, wages, etc, in order of size, value, etc
a wage scale for carpenters
6.
an established measure or standard
7.
a relative degree or extent
he entertained on a grand scale
8. music
a group of notes taken in ascending or descending order, esp within the compass of one octave
9. mathematics
the notation of a given number system
the decimal scale
10.
a graded series of tests measuring mental development, etc
11. obsolete
a ladder or staircase
verb
12.
to climb to the top of (a height) by or as if by a ladder
13. (transitive)
to make or draw (a model, plan, etc) according to a particular ratio of proportionate reduction
14. (tr; usually foll by up or down)
to increase or reduce proportionately in size, etc
15. US and Canadian
(in forestry) to estimate the board footage of (standing timber or logs)
Word origin
C15: via Italian from Latin scāla ladder; related to Old French eschiele, Spanish escala
scale in American English1
(skeɪl)
noun
1. Obsolete
a.
a ladder or flight of stairs
b.
any means of ascent
2.
a.
a series of marks along a line, at regular or graduated intervals, used in measuringor registering something
the scale of a thermometer
b.
any instrument or ruler marked in this manner
3.
a.
the proportion that a map, model, etc. bears to the thing that it represents; ratio between thedimensions of a representation and those of the object
a scale of one inch to a mile
b.
a line marked off on a map to indicate this ratio or proportion
4.
a.
a system of grouping or classifying in a series of steps or degrees according to a standard of relative size, amount,rank, etc.
the social scale, a wage scale
b.
a progressive graduated series, as of psychological or educational tests or scores
c.
any point, grade, level, or degree in such a series
5. Ancient Mathematics
a system of numerical notation
the binary scale
6. Music
a series of tones arranged in a sequence of rising or falling pitches in accordance with any of various systems of intervals; esp., all of such a series contained inone octave
see also chromatic, diatonic, major scale, minor scale
verb transitiveWord forms: scaled or ˈscaling
7.
a.
to climb up or over; go up by or as by a ladder or by clambering
b.
to reach or surmount (specified heights)
8.
to regulate, make, or set according to a scale
9.
to measure by or as by a scale
10. US
to measure (logs) or estimate the board feet of (timber)
verb intransitive
11.
to climb; go up
12.
to go up in a graduated series
Idioms:
on a large (or small, etc.) scale
scale back
scale down (or up)
Derived forms
scaler (ˈscaler)
noun
Word origin
ME < LL scala (in Vulg., Jacob's ladder) < L, usually as pl., scalae, flight of stairs, ladder < *scandsla < scandere, to climb: see descend
scale in American English2
(skeɪl)
noun
1.
any of the thin, flat, overlapping, rigid, horny plates forming the outer protective covering of the body in many fishes and reptiles and of the tails of afew mammals
2.
any of the structurally similar thin plates on birds' legs or certain insects' wings
3.
a.
the single, round plate secreted by a scale insect
b.
scale insect
4.
any thin, flaky or platelike layer or piece, as of dry skin, mail armor, etc.
5.
a flaky film of oxide that forms on heated or rusted metals
6.
a coating that forms on the inside of boilers, kettles, or other metal containers that heat liquids
7.
any greatly reduced scalelike leaf or bract; esp., such a modified leaf covering and protecting the bud of a seed plant
verb transitiveWord forms: scaled or ˈscaling
8.
to strip or scrape scales from
9.
to remove in thin layers; pare down
10.
to cause scales to form on; cover with scales
11.
to throw (a thin, flat object) so that its edge cuts the air or so that it skips along the surface of water
12. Dentistry
to remove (tartar) from the teeth with a sharp instrument
verb intransitive
13.
to flake or peel off in scales
14.
to become covered with scale or scales
Derived forms
scaleless (ˈscaleless)
adjective
Word origin
ME, aphetic < OFr escale, husk, shell (< Frank skala) & escaille, shell (< Goth skalja): both < Gmc *skalja, something split off < IE base *(s)kel-, to cut > shell, half
scale in American English3
(skeɪl)
noun
1.
either of the shallow dishes or pans of a balance
2. [often pl.]
a.
balance (sense 1)
b.
any weighing machine
verb transitiveWord forms: scaled or ˈscaling
3.
to weigh in scales
4.
to have a weight of
verb intransitive
5.
to be weighed
Idioms:
the Scales
turn the scales
Word origin
ME < ON skāl, bowl, weighing balance; akin to OHG scala, OE scealu, shell: see scale2
COBUILD Collocations
scale
global scale
massive scale
vast scale
Examples of 'scale' in a sentence
scale
They used chain ladders to scale walls and scramble onto the roof of the armoury.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
To have scaled such heights in both sports is incredible.
The Sun (2014)
Yet to do something of this scale and prominence was a huge challenge.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
They are less than a millimetre long and feed on scales of human skin.
The Sun (2014)
We need this scale of youthful boldness and ambition.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
It is the scale and the size of them that is causing particular concern.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Yet the sheer scale of what we are discovering about plastic in the ocean demands a solution.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
With the rise of the electronic book the pay scales are changing greatly.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Their scale will make a tight space seem bigger.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
This suffered presenter overload on a grand scale.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Only to realise that my map has no scale.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Scale economies may also represent a barrier to entry.
Forstner, Helmut, Ballance, Robert Competing in a Global Economy (1990)
The disparity is played out on a bigger scale between cities.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
You step on the bathroom scales and.
The Sun (2007)
You will scale back your plans now.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The extent of scale economies can be measured by various methods.
Forstner, Helmut, Ballance, Robert Competing in a Global Economy (1990)
To have a race of that scale with only one marshal on a point is inexcusable.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
You have to understand the scale of the problem.
The Sun (2013)
Sales, filing and clerical work would be scaled back dramatically.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
It needs to figure out how to increase its scale, and quickly.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
scale
British English: scale /skeɪl/ NOUN
for measuring A scale is a set of levels or numbers which are used in a particular system of measuring things or comparing things.
...an earthquake measuring five-point-five on the Richter scale.
American English: scale measure
Arabic: ميزان
Brazilian Portuguese: escala
Chinese: 刻度
Croatian: ljuska
Czech: měřítko
Danish: målestok
Dutch: schaal
European Spanish: escala
Finnish: suomu
French: échelle
German: Schuppe
Greek: κλίμακα
Italian: scala
Japanese: 尺度 measure
Korean: 눈금
Norwegian: flis skall
Polish: łuska
European Portuguese: escala
Romanian: scară
Russian: чешуя
Latin American Spanish: escama
Swedish: fjäll litet stycke
Thai: มาตราส่วน
Turkish: pul balık
Ukrainian: шкала
Vietnamese: mức độ cá
British English: scale /skeɪl/ NOUN
fish, reptile The scales of a fish or reptile are the small, flat pieces of hard skin that cover its body.
Remove the scales from the fish skin.
American English: scale tiny piece
Arabic: قِشْرُ السَّمَك
Brazilian Portuguese: escama
Chinese: 鳞
Croatian: ljuska
Czech: šupina
Danish: skæl
Dutch: schubben maatstaf
European Spanish: escama
Finnish: asteikko
French: écaille mesure
German: Skala
Greek: λέπι
Italian: scaglia
Japanese: うろこ tiny piece
Korean: 비늘
Norwegian: skala
Polish: skala
European Portuguese: escama
Romanian: solz
Russian: шкала
Latin American Spanish: escala
Swedish: skala
Thai: เกล็ด
Turkish: ölçü
Ukrainian: луска
Vietnamese: vẩy
British English: scale VERB
If you scale something such as a mountain or a wall, you climb up it or over it.
...the first woman to scale Everest.
American English: scale
Brazilian Portuguese: escalar
Chinese: 攀登
European Spanish: escalar
French: escalader
German: erklettern
Italian: scalare
Japanese: 登る
Korean: 오르다
European Portuguese: escalar
Latin American Spanish: escalar
All related terms of 'scale'
bud scale
one of the hard protective sometimes hairy or resinous specialized leaves surrounding the buds of certain plants, such as the rhododendron
pay scale
the range of salary paid for a particular job , often going up in increments
scale pan
one of the pans of a balance
scale up
If you scale up something, you make it greater in size , amount, or extent than it used to be.
to scale
If the different parts of a map , drawing , or model are to scale , they are the right size in relation to each other.
Baumé scale
a scale for calibrating hydrometers used for measuring the specific gravity of liquids . 1 degree Baum é is equal to 144.3(( s –1)/ s ), where s is specific gravity
Binet scale
a test comprising questions and tasks , used to determine the mental age of subjects, usually children
Brix scale
a scale for calibrating hydrometers used for measuring the concentration and density of sugar solutions at a given temperature
full-scale
Full-scale means as complete , intense , or great in extent as possible .
large-scale
A large-scale action or event happens over a very wide area or involves a lot of people or things.
major scale
any of the diatonic scales having the eight tones succeeding by whole tones but with a semitone between the third and fourth and seventh and eighth tones: there are twelve major scales, one in each key
minor scale
any of the twelve diatonic scales distinguished from the major scale with the same keynote by a semitone after the second and seventh tones or after the second, fifth , and seventh tones
Mohs scale
a scale for expressing the hardness of solids by comparing them with ten standards ranging from talc , with a value of 1, to diamond , with a value of 10
ratio scale
a scale of measurement of data which permits the comparison of differences of values; a scale having a fixed zero value. The distances travelled by a projectile , for instance, are measured on a ratio scale since it makes sense to talk of one projectile travelling twice as far as another
scale back
To scale back means the same as to → scale down .
scale down
If you scale down something, you make it smaller in size, amount, or extent than it used to be.
scale leaf
a modified leaf , often small and membranous , protecting buds , etc
scale maker
a person who makes scales for weighing
scale model
a drawing which has been reduced or enlarged from its original size, to a specified scale
scale moss
any of various leafy liverworts of the order Jungermanniales, which resemble mosses
small-scale
A small-scale activity or organization is small in size and limited in extent .
vast scale
If you refer to the scale of something, you are referring to its size or extent , especially when it is very big .
wage scale
a schedule of wages paid to workers for various jobs in an industry , company, etc
wind scale
a numerical scale of wind force , such as the Beaufort scale
world scale
→ on a world scale
armored scale
any of a family (Diaspididae) of scale insects characterized by a hard, waxy secretion that covers the body: many armored scales are serious pests of trees and shrubs
Burnham scale
the salary scale for teachers in English state schools, which is revised periodically
Celsius scale
a scale of temperature in which 0° represents the melting point of ice and 100° represents the boiling point of water
Douglas scale
an international scale of sea disturbance and swell ranging from 0 to 9 with one figure for disturbance and one for swell
Fujita scale
a scale for expressing the intensity of a tornado , ranging from F 0 (light damage ) to F5 ( incredible damage)
gapped scale
a scale , such as a pentatonic scale, containing fewer than seven notes
global scale
If you refer to the scale of something, you are referring to its size or extent , especially when it is very big .
gravity scale
a scale giving the relative density of fluids
Kelvin scale
a thermodynamic temperature scale based upon the efficiencies of ideal heat engines. The zero of the scale is absolute zero. Originally the degree was equal to that on the Celsius scale but it is now defined so that the triple point of water is exactly 273.16 kelvins . The International Practical Temperature Scale (1968, revised 1990) realizes the Kelvin scale over a wide range of temperatures
massive scale
If you refer to the scale of something, you are referring to its size or extent , especially when it is very big .
Munsell scale
a standard chromaticity scale used in specifying colour. It gives approximately equal changes in visual hue
nominal scale
a discrete classification of data , in which data are neither measured nor ordered but subjects are merely allocated to distinct categories : for example, a record of students ' course choices constitutes nominal data which could be correlated with school results
ordinal scale
a scale on which data is shown simply in order of magnitude since there is no standard of measurement of differences : for instance, a squash ladder is an ordinal scale since one can say only that one person is better than another, but not by how much
Rankine scale
an absolute scale of temperature in which the unit of temperature is equal to that on the Fahrenheit scale and the zero value of temperature is equal to –459.67° F
Réaumur scale
a scale of temperature in which the freezing point of water is taken as 0° and the boiling point is 80°
Richter scale
The Richter scale is a scale which is used for measuring how severe an earthquake is.
salary scale
→ another name for salary range
scale drawing
a drawing which has been reduced or enlarged from its original size , to a specified scale
scale insect
any small homopterous insect of the family Coccidae and related families, which typically live and feed on plants and secrete a protective scale around themselves. Many species, such as the San Jose scale, are important pests
sliding scale
Payments such as wages or taxes that are calculated on a sliding scale are higher or lower depending on various different factors.
vernier scale
a small movable scale running parallel to the main graduated scale in certain measuring instruments, such as theodolites , used to obtain a fractional reading of one of the divisions on the main scale
ascending scale
a scale that is rising in pitch
Beaufort scale
an international scale of wind velocities ranging for practical purposes from 0 ( calm ) to 12 ( hurricane force). In the US an extension of the scale, from 13 to 17 for winds over 64 knots , is used
chromatic scale
a twelve-note scale including all the semitones of the octave
interval scale
a scale of measurement of data according to which the differences between values can be quantified in absolute but not relative terms and for which any zero is merely arbitrary : for instance, dates are measured on an interval scale since differences can be measured in years, but no sense can be given to a ratio of times
Chinese translation of 'scale'
scale
(skeɪl)
n
(s) (= size, extent) 规(規)模 (guīmó)
(c) (= measuring system) (for temperature etc) 标(標)度 (biāodù)
(c) (Brit)[of salaries, fees etc]级(級)别(別) (jíbié)
(c)[of map, model]比例 (bǐlì)
(c) (Mus) 音阶(階) (yīnjiē)
(c)[of fish, reptile]鳞(鱗) (lín) (片, piàn)
cpd
[model, drawing]按比例制(製)作的 (àn bǐlì zhìzuò de)
vt
(= climb) 攀登 (pāndēng)
on a scale of 1 to 10从(從)1到10各等级(級)地 (cóng yī dào shí gè děngjí de)
to scale按比例 (àn bǐlì)
on a large/small scale以大/小规(規)模(糢) (yǐ dà/xiǎo guīmó)