scale

The word “scale” means the size, extent, or proportion of something, especially compared to something else. In plain terms, a very flexible word covering size/proportion, measurement systems, weighing devices, fish/reptile skin plates, and the verb for climbing or resizing something.

“Scale” is pronounced skayl (/skeɪl/ in IPA).

Here is “scale” used in a sentence: “The scale of the damage from the flood shocked everyone.”

Depending on how it is used, “scale” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “scale” comes from Latin. From Latin scāla, "ladder, staircase," from scandere, "to climb" — the same root behind "ascend" and "descend." The fish-skin sense comes from a separate but similarly spelled Germanic word.

“Scale” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Scale” has 6 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the size, extent, or proportion of something, especially compared to something else.

Scale has several meanings. It can mean the size or extent of something, as in 'the scale of the problem.' It can be a device for weighing, the tough plates on a fish or reptile, a series of musical notes, or the ratio between a map and real distances. Context decides.

It means done to a great size, extent, or degree. Producing something on a large scale means making a lot of it, or affecting many people or a wide area. The phrase contrasts with 'on a small scale,' where the size, reach, or ambition of the activity is much more limited.

A map's scale is the ratio between distance on the map and the matching distance in the real world. A scale of 1:100,000 means one centimetre on the map equals 100,000 centimetres, or one kilometre, on the ground. It lets you judge real distances from the map.