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scale

How much do you love pizza? Rate it on a scale of one to ten, with one being blech and ten being amazing. A scale is a series that climbs up or down in a step-wise fashion. To scale something is to climb it, as in "scale a ladder," where you work your way up step by step.

Think of a musical scale: do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do, and then think of a scale you weigh yourself on––it counts up the pounds one after another after another. Scale can be a ratio too––when maps are drawn "to scale," that means one mile of real road might translate to one inch of road on the map. Even fish scales can be understood this way––they repeat the same shape row after row after row.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: scale

1	n v	an ordered reference standard pattern, make, regulate, set, measure, or estimate according to some rate or standard
2	n v	the ratio between the size of something and a representation of it size or measure according to a scale
3	n	(music) a series of notes differing in pitch according to a specific scheme (usually within an octave)
4	n v	a thin flake of dead epidermis shed from the surface of the skin remove the scales from
5	v	climb up by means of a ladder

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: scale

n an ordered reference standard

“judging on a scale of 1 to 10”

Synonyms:: graduated table, ordered series, scale of measurement

Types:: show 16 types...; hide 16 types...; Beaufort scale, wind scale
an international scale of wind force from 0 (calm air) to 12 (hurricane); index
a numerical scale used to compare variables with one another or with some reference number; logarithmic scale
scale on which actual distances from the origin are proportional to the logarithms of the corresponding scale numbers; Mercalli scale
a scale formerly used to describe the magnitude of an earthquake; an earthquake detected only by seismographs is a I and an earthquake that destroys all buildings is a XII; Mohs scale
a scale of hardness of solids; talc is 0 and diamond is 10; ordering is determined by which substance can scratch another substance; Richter scale
a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 formerly used to express the magnitude of an earthquake on the basis of the size of seismograph oscillations; moment magnitude scale
a logarithmic scale of 1 to 10 (a successor to the Richter scale) that enables seismologists to compare the energy released by different earthquakes on the basis of the area of the geological fault that ruptured in the quake; temperature scale
a system of measuring temperature; wage scale, wage schedule
a schedule of wages paid for different jobs; margin of error, margin of safety, safety margin
the margin required in order to insure safety; Celsius scale, centigrade scale, international scale
a temperature scale that defines the freezing point of water as 0 degrees and the boiling point of water as 100 degrees; Fahrenheit scale
a temperature scale that defines the freezing point of water as 32 degrees and the boiling point of water a 212 degrees; Kelvin scale, absolute scale
a temperature scale that defines absolute zero as 0 degrees; water freezes at 273.16 degrees and boils at 373.16 degrees; Rankine scale
a scale of absolute temperature in Fahrenheit degrees; the freezing point of water is 491.69 degrees and the boiling point of water is 671.69 degrees; Reaumur scale
a temperature scale on which water freezes at 0 degrees and boils at 80 degrees; sliding scale
a wage scale that fluctuates in response to the cost-of-living index

Type of:: criterion, measure, standard, touchstone
a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated

n an indicator having a graduated sequence of marks

Types:: vernier, vernier scale
a small movable scale that slides along a main scale; the small scale is calibrated to indicate fractional divisions of the main scale

Type of:: indicator
a device for showing the operating condition of some system

n a measuring instrument for weighing; shows amount of mass

Synonyms:: weighing machine

Types:: show 7 types...; hide 7 types...; balance
a scale for weighing; depends on pull of gravity; weighbridge
platform scale flush with a roadway for weighing vehicles and cattle etc; beam balance
a balance consisting of a lever with two equal arms and a pan suspended from each arm; electronic balance
a balance that generates a current proportional to the displacement of the pan; microbalance
balance for weighing very small objects; spring balance, spring scale
a balance that measure weight by the tension on a helical spring; beam scale, lever scale, steelyard
a portable balance consisting of a pivoted bar with arms of unequal length

Type of:: measuring device, measuring instrument, measuring system
instrument that shows the extent or amount or quantity or degree of something

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

Type of:: model, pattern
plan or create according to a model or models

v measure by or as if by a scale

“This bike scales only 25 pounds”

Type of:: measure
have certain dimensions

v measure with or as if with scales

“scale the gold”

Type of:: measure, quantify
express as a number or measure or quantity

n the ratio between the size of something and a representation of it

“the scale of the map”

“the scale of the model”

Type of:: proportion
the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole

n relative magnitude

“they entertained on a grand scale”

Type of:: magnitude relation, quantitative relation
a relation between magnitudes

v size or measure according to a scale

“This model must be scaled down”

Type of:: size
make to a size; bring to a suitable size

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

Synonyms:: musical scale

Types:: show 6 types...; hide 6 types...; gamut
the entire scale of musical notes; diatonic scale
a scale with eight notes in an octave; all but two are separated by whole tones; chromatic scale
a 12-note scale including all the semitones of the octave; gapped scale
a musical scale with fewer than seven notes; pentatone, pentatonic scale
a gapped scale with five notes; usually the fourth and seventh notes of the diatonic scale are omitted; mode, musical mode
any of various fixed orders of the various diatonic notes within an octave

Type of:: musical notation
(music) notation used by musicians

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

Synonyms:: exfoliation, scurf

Types:: dander
small scales from animal skins or hair or bird feathers that can cause allergic reactions in some people; dandruff
loose scales shed from the scalp

Type of:: bit, chip, flake, fleck, scrap
a small fragment of something broken off from the whole

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

Types:: fish scale
scale of the kind that covers the bodies of fish; squama
a protective structure resembling a scale; alula, calypter
scalelike structure between the base of the wing and the halter of a two-winged fly

Type of:: cover, covering, natural covering
a natural object that covers or envelops

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

Synonyms:: scale leaf

Types:: squamule
a minute scale

Type of:: foliage, leaf, leafage
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants

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

Synonyms:: plate, shell

Types:: show 25 types...; hide 25 types...; armor plate, armor plating, armour plate, plate armor, plate armour
specially hardened steel plate used to protect fortifications or vehicles from enemy fire; horseshoe, shoe
U-shaped plate nailed to underside of horse's hoof; shell plating
the plates covering the frame of a steel ship and corresponding to the planking of a wooden ship; backplate
plate armor protecting the back; worn as part of a cuirass; beaver
a movable piece of armor on a medieval helmet used to protect the lower face; brassard
armor plate that protects the arm; aegis, breastplate, egis
armor plate that protects the chest; the front part of a cuirass; cannon
(Middle Ages) a cylindrical piece of armor plate to protect the arm; chamfron, chanfron, front-stall, frontstall, testiere
medieval plate armor to protect a horse's head; cubitiere
body armor that protects the elbow; cuisse
armor plate that protects the thigh; epauliere
armor plate that protects the shoulder; fauld
a piece of armor plate below the breastplate; gorget
armor plate that protects the neck; greave, jambeau
armor plate that protects legs below the knee; helmet
armor plate that protects the head; knee piece
armor plate that protects the knee; nosepiece
armor plate that protects the nose; palette, pallette
one of the rounded armor plates at the armpits of a suit of armor; roundel
round piece of armor plate that protects the armpit; skirt of tasses
armor plate that protects the body below the waist; sabaton, solleret
armor plate that protects the foot; consists of mail with a solid toe and heel; tasse, tasset
one of two pieces of armor plate hanging from the fauld to protect the upper thighs; tuille
armor plate that protects the hip and thigh; visor, vizor
a piece of armor plate (with eye slits) fixed or hinged to a medieval helmet to protect the face

Type of:: shield
a protective covering or structure

v remove the scales from

“scale fish”

Synonyms:: descale

Type of:: remove, take, take away, withdraw
remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

v climb up by means of a ladder

Type of:: climb, climb up, go up, mount
go upward with gradual or continuous progress

v take by attacking with scaling ladders

“The troops scaled the walls of the fort”

Type of:: take
take by force

v reach the highest point of

“We scaled the Mont Blanc”

Synonyms:: surmount

Type of:: arrive at, attain, gain, hit, make, reach
reach a destination, either real or abstract

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