scale

Noun

• a flattened rigid plate forming part of the body covering of many animals

• a metal sheathing of uniform thickness (such as the shield attached to an artillery piece to protect the gunners)

• an indicator having a graduated sequence of marks

• a measuring instrument for weighing; shows amount of mass

• (music) a series of notes differing in pitch according to a specific scheme (usually within an octave)

• a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin

• a specialized leaf or bract that protects a bud or catkin

• the ratio between the size of something and a representation of it
  • the scale of the map
    
  • the scale of the model
    

• relative magnitude
  • they entertained on a grand scale
    

• an ordered reference standard
  • judging on a scale of 1 to 10
    

Verb

• size or measure according to a scale
  • This model must be scaled down
    

• measure with or as if with scales
  • scale the gold
    

• remove the scales from
  • scale fish
    

• climb up by means of a ladder

• reach the highest point of
  • We scaled the Mont Blanc
    

• take by attacking with scaling ladders
  • The troops scaled the walls of the fort
    

• pattern, make, regulate, set, measure, or estimate according to some rate or standard

• measure by or as if by a scale
  • This bike scales only 25 pounds
    

Related words

• Synonyms: 
  plate , shell , weighing machine , musical scale , scurf , exfoliation , scale leaf , scale of measurement , graduated table , ordered series , descale , surmount