scaffold

noun

scaf·​fold ˈska-fəld 

 also  -ˌfōld

1

a

: a temporary or movable platform for workers (such as bricklayers, painters, or miners) to stand or sit on when working at a height above the floor or ground

b

: a platform on which a criminal is executed (as by hanging or beheading)

c

: a platform at a height above ground or floor level

2

: a supporting framework

Examples of scaffold in a Sentence

The condemned man was led to the scaffold.

Recent Examples on the Web

Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital combined these scaffolds with patients’ own cells to build replacement bladders. —ArsTechnica, 20 May 2025

Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news David Kaplan has been working with silk for decades, molding and shaping it into scaffolds, sponges, and films. —Amy Paturel, Discover Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025

These total $70 per scaffold frame for both producers. —Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 23 Mar. 2025

LeetCode-style interviews may test memory and persistence, but engineers work alongside AI tools like Cursor, GitHub Copilot or Claude in real AI-first workflows to scaffold code, debug and iterate rapidly. —Naga Vadrevu, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French scaffald, alteration of Old French eschaafauz, escafaut, alteration of chaafaut, from Vulgar Latin *catafalicum — more at catafalque

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for scaffold

• baffled

Kids Definition

scaffold

noun

scaf·​fold ˈskaf-əld 

 also  -ˌōld

1

a

: an elevated platform built as a support for workers

b

: a platform on which a criminal is executed

2

: a supporting framework