noun

scale

skayl

noun

The size, extent, or proportion of something, especially compared to something else.

"The scale of the damage from the flood shocked everyone."

A series of marked measurements used for comparison, such as on a ruler, map, or rating system.

"Rate your pain on a scale of one to ten."

One of the small, hard, overlapping plates covering the skin of fish and reptiles.

"Sunlight glinted off the fish's silver scales."

An instrument for measuring weight.

"Step on the scale to check your weight."

verb

To increase or decrease something in size while keeping its proportions, especially to grow a business or process.

"The startup struggled to scale its operations once demand grew."

"The recipe can easily be scaled up for a larger dinner party."

To climb to the top of something.

"The climbers scaled the cliff face in under two hours."

How to Use Scale

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA very flexible word covering size/proportion, measurement systems, weighing devices, fish/reptile skin plates, and the verb for climbing or resizing something.

Common mistake

The measuring-device sense ("bathroom scale") and the fish-skin sense look identical but come from two unrelated word histories — don't assume one explains the other.

Common pairings

scale up scale down to scale a large scale fish scales

Word Forms

scaled past tense, scaled past tense, scales plural, scales plural, scales plural, scales singular, scales singular

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The _____ of the damage from the flood shocked everyone.

Etymology

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.

Rhymes for scale

ale male sale pale gale tale kale vale dale Yale bale hale

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