scale

1 of 7

noun (1)

ˈskāl 

1

: an instrument or machine for weighing

2

a

: a beam that is supported freely in the center and has two pans of equal weight suspended from its ends

—usually used in plural

b

: either pan or tray of a balance

scale

2 of 7

verb (1)

scaled; scaling

transitive verb

: to weigh in scales

intransitive verb

: to have a specified weight on scales

scale

3 of 7

noun (2)

1

a

: a small, flattened, rigid, and definitely circumscribed plate forming part of the external body covering especially of a fish

b

: a small thin plate suggesting a fish scale

scales of mica

the scales on a moth's wing

c

: the scaly covering of a scaled animal

2

: a small thin dry lamina shed (as in many skin diseases) from the skin

3

: a thin coating, layer, or incrustation: such as

a

: a usually black scaly coating of oxide forming on the surface of a metal (such as iron) when it is heated for processing

b

: a hard incrustation usually rich in sulfate of calcium that is deposited on the inside of a vessel (such as a boiler) in which water is heated

4

a

: a modified leaf protecting a seed plant bud before expansion

b

: a thin, membranous, chaffy, or woody bract

5

a

: any of the small overlapping usually metal pieces forming the outer surface of scale armor

b

: scale armor

6

a

: scale insect

b

: infestation with or disease caused by scale insects

scaled

ˈskāld 

adjective

scaleless

ˈskāl-ləs 

adjective

scale

4 of 7

verb (2)

scaled; scaling

transitive verb

1

: to remove the scale or scales from (as by scraping)

scale a fish

2

: to take off in thin layers or scales

scale tartar from the teeth

3

: to throw (something, such as a thin, flat stone) so that the edge cuts the air or so that it skips on water : skim

intransitive verb

1

: to separate and come off in scales : flake

2

: to shed scales

scaling skin

scale

5 of 7

noun (3)

1

: a graduated series of musical tones ascending or descending in order of pitch according to a specified scheme of their intervals

2

: something graduated especially when used as a measure or rule: such as

a

: an indication of the relationship between the distances on a map and the corresponding actual distances

b

: a series of marks or points at known intervals used to measure distances (such as the height of the mercury in a thermometer)

c

: ruler sense 3

3

a

: a graduated series or scheme of rank or order

a scale of taxation

b

: minimum wage sense 2

4

a

: a proportion between two sets of dimensions (as between those of a drawing and its original)

b

: a distinctive relative size, extent, or degree

projects done on a large scale

5

: a graded series of tests or of performances used in rating individual intelligence or achievement

6

a

archaic : a means of ascent

b

obsolete : ladder

scale adjective

scale

6 of 7

verb (3)

scaled; scaling

transitive verb

1

a

: to climb up or reach by means of a ladder

b

: to attack with or take by means of scaling ladders

scale a castle wall

c

: to reach the highest point of : surmount

scale a mountain

2

a

: to pattern, make, regulate, set, or estimate according to some rate or standard : adjust

a production schedule scaled to actual need

—often used with back, down, or up

scale down imports

b

: to arrange in a graduated series

c(1)

: to measure by or as if by a scale

(2)

: to measure or estimate the sound content of (logs, standing timber, etc.)

intransitive verb

1

: to climb by or as if by a ladder

2

: to rise in a graduated series

3

: measure

scale

7 of 7

noun (4)

1

: an estimate of the amount of sound lumber in logs or standing timber

2

obsolete : escalade

Phrases

to scale

: according to the proportions of an established scale of measurement

floor plans drawn to scale

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• balance

Verb (1)

• measure
• gauge

Noun (2)

• plate

Noun (3)

• hierarchy
• ladder
• ranking
• series

Examples of scale in a Sentence

Noun (1)

I hate getting on the bathroom scale

Verb (1)

scaled the logs to get a rough idea of the amount of usable lumber they were likely to yield

Noun (2)

scales of mica were embedded in the granite

Noun (3)

a student who scored very highly on a standard intelligence scale

with the scale going from one to ten, what did you think of the movie?

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Freleng, struck by the sheer scale of the possible wrongful conviction, was intrigued by the case. —Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 25 July 2025

The lesson is that format fit and site economics matter more than simply partnering with a local company and transplanting a global scale. —Rebecca Takada, Forbes.com, 25 July 2025

Verb

Faced with rising prices on everything from rent to groceries, many Michiganders are scaling back on summer travel. —Adrienne Roberts, Freep.com, 27 July 2025

With the fires of inspiration stoked, Espinoza set out to scale his efforts. —Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 26 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English scole, scale bowl, scale of a balance, from Old Norse skāl; akin to Old Norse skel shell — more at shell

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French escale, eschale, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English scealu shell, husk — more at shell

Noun (3)

Middle English, from Late Latin scala ladder, staircase, from Latin scalae, plural, stairs, rungs, ladder; akin to Latin scandere to climb — more at scan

Verb (3) and Noun (4)

Middle English, from scale entry 5

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Verb (1)

1691, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun (2)

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

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (3)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 6b

Verb (3)

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Noun (4)

circa 1587, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing scale

• arithmetic scale
• armored scale
• Beaufort scale
• Binet-Simon scale
• Brix scale
• bud scale
• chromatic scale
• cottony-cushion scale
• economy of scale
• full-scale
• gapped scale
• gray scale
• HO scale
• large-scale
• large-scale integration
• logarithmic scale
• Mercalli scale
• on a global scale
• on a scale of
• purple scale
• Richter scale
• San Jose scale
• scale armor
• scale-down
• scale insect
• scale model
• scale the heights of
• scale-up
• sliding scale
• small-scale
• sub-scale
• the Richter scale
• to scale
• wage scale

Rhymes for scale

• ail
• ale
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• frail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail

Kids Definition

scale

1 of 6 noun

ˈskā(ə)l 

1

a

: either pan of a balance

b

: balance entry 1 sense 1

—usually used in plural

2

: a device for weighing

a bathroom scale

scale

2 of 6 verb

scaled; scaling

1

: to weigh in scales

2

: to have a specified weight

scale

3 of 6 noun

1

a

: any of the small stiff flat plates that form an outer covering on the body of some animals and especially fishes and reptiles

b

: a small thin plate that resembles an animal scale

scales of mica

the scales on a moth's wing

2

: a small thin flake (as of dandruff) shed from the skin

3

: a thin layer or coating formed especially on metal (as iron)

boiler scale

4

: a special leaf that covers a bud of a seed plant

5

a

: scale insect

b

: a disease of plants caused by a scale insect

scaleless

ˈskā(ə)l-ləs 

adjective

scalelike

ˈskā(ə)l-ˌlīk

adjective

scale

4 of 6 verb

scaled; scaling

1

: to remove scale or the scales from

scale a boiler

scale fish

2

: to take off in scales or thin layers

scale the bark off a tree

3

: to come off in scales or shed scales : flake

4

: to throw a flat object so as to sail in air or skip on water

scale

5 of 6 noun

1

: a series of tones going up or down in pitch with each tone having a fixed relationship to those above and below it

2

a

: a series of spaces marked off by lines and used for measuring distances, amounts, or quantities

b

: a divided line on a map or chart indicating the length (as an inch) used to represent a larger unit of measure (as a mile)

c

: an instrument consisting of a strip (as of wood, plastic, or metal) with spaces on its surface that are evenly divided and numbered for measuring distances or amounts

3

: a series divided into classes

4

: the size of a picture, plan, or model of a thing compared to the size of the thing itself

5

: size in comparison

do things on a large scale

6

: a rule by which something can be measured or judged

scale

6 of 6 verb

scaled; scaling

1

: to climb by or as if by a ladder

scale a wall

scale a cliff

2

a

: to arrange in order with the highest assigned one value (as a grade of A) and the lowest another value (as a grade of D) with the rest placed in groups between the two

scale a test

b

: to measure by or as if by a scale

c

: to make, regulate, or estimate by a rule

scale down the budget

scaler noun

Etymology

Noun

Middle English scale "bowl, pan or tray of a balance," of Norse origin

Noun

Middle English scale "a plate on the skin of a fish," from early French escale (same meaning); of Germanic origin

Noun

Middle English scale "ladder," from Latin scala "ladder, staircase," from earlier scalae (plural) "stairs, rungs, ladder"

Medical Definition

scale

1 of 5 noun

ˈskā(ə)l 

1

a

: either pan or tray of a balance

b

: a beam that is supported freely in the center and has two pans of equal weight suspended from its ends

—usually used in plural

2

: an instrument or machine for weighing

scale

2 of 5 verb

scaled; scaling

transitive verb

: to weigh in scales

intransitive verb

: to have a specified weight on scales

scale

3 of 5 noun

1

: a small thin dry lamina shed (as in many skin diseases) from the skin

2

: a film of tartar encrusting the teeth

scale

4 of 5 verb

scaled; scaling

transitive verb

: to take off in thin layers or scales

scale tartar from the teeth

intransitive verb

1

: to separate or come off in thin layers or laminae

2

: to shed scales or fragmentary surface matter : exfoliate

scaling skin

scale

5 of 5 noun

1

: a series of marks or points at known intervals used to measure distances (as the height of the mercury in a thermometer)

2

: a graduated series or scheme of rank or order

3

: a graded series of tests or of performances used in rating individual intelligence or achievement

Legal Definition

scale

noun

: a set of graduated wage rates

also : a wage consistent with such rates compare minimum wage