scale
Forms
- Plural
- scales
- present (v1)
- scale
- past (v2)
- scaled
- past participle (v3)
- scaled
- present participle
- scaling
- 3rd person singular
- scales
Definitions
1.An ordered, usually numerical sequence used for measurement; means of assigning a magnitude.
- Please rate your experience on a scale from 1 to 10.
- The magnitude of an earthquake is measured on the open-ended Richter scale.
2.Size; scope.
- There are some who question the scale of our ambitions.
3.The ratio of depicted distance to actual distance.
- This map uses a scale of 1:10.
4.A line or bar associated with a drawing, used to indicate measurement when the image has been magnified or reduced.
- Even though precision can be carried to an extreme, the scales which now are drawn in (and usually connected to an appropriate figure by an arrow) will allow derivation of meaningful measurements.
1.To change the size of something whilst maintaining proportion; especially to change a process in order to produce much larger amounts of the final product.
- We should scale that up by a factor of 10.
2.To climb to the top of.
- Hilary and Norgay were the first known to have scaled Everest.
- A solitary rock is always attractive. All right-minded people feel an overwhelming desire to scale and sit upon it.
3.To tolerate significant increases in throughput or other potentially limiting factors.
- That architecture won't scale to real-world environments.
4.To weigh, measure or grade according to a scale or system.
- Scaling his present bearing with his past.
- The kitchen-dining-buffet car scales 49.2 tons.
Frequency
Overall
Common· #1399
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Common
- Academic
- Common
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
From Middle English scale, from Latin scāla, usually in plural scālae (“a flight of steps, stairs, staircase, ladder”), for *skand-slā, from scandō (“to climb”); see scan, ascend, descend, etc.
Doublet of scala.