scaffold

noun

scaf·​fold ˈska-fəld How to pronounce scaffold (audio)
 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 Students who are multilingual learners and/or have special needs wanting access to the same curriculum and expectations with appropriate scaffolds and supports should find that in AF schools. Madeleine Parrish, The Arizona Republic, 2 Oct. 2024 Right now, Carnes is in the middle of putting together a family cookbook, using an old collection of her aunt’s as a scaffold for her own additions—clipped from copies of Taste of Home, printed out from Allrecipes, or kept on a scrap of paper, then painstakingly typed up. Ruby Tandoh, The New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2024 Now Evans had video showing a man in a red coat climbing a scaffold, pulling out a handgun, and firing twice into the air. Thomas Lake, CNN, 20 Sep. 2024 When that was done, the scaffolds with the fungal mycelia and electrodes were shielded from vibrations and magnetic interference and installed in two robots: a walking one resembling a starfish, and a more standard four-wheeled rover. Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for scaffold 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scaffold.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of scaffold was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near scaffold

Cite this Entry

“Scaffold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scaffold. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

scaffold

noun
scaf·​fold ˈskaf-əld How to pronounce scaffold (audio)
 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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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