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scale3

Syllabification: (scale)
Pronunciation: /skāl/

Translate scale | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of scale

noun

  • 1a graduated range of values forming a standard system for measuring or grading something:company employees have hit the top of their pay scales
  • the full range of different levels of people or things, from lowest to highest:two men at opposite ends of the social scale
  • a series of marks at regular intervals in a line used in measuring something:the mean delivery time is plotted against a scale on the right
  • a device having a series of marks at regular intervals in a line used in measuring something:she read the exact distance off a scale
  • a rule determining the distances between marks on a scale:the vertical axis is given on a logarithmic scale
  • 2 [in singular] the relative size or extent of something:no one foresaw the scale of the disaster everything in the house is on a grand scale
  • [often as modifier] a ratio of size in a map, model, drawing, or plan:a one-fifth scale model of a seven-story building an Ordnance Survey map on a scale of 1:2500
  • (in full scale of notation) Mathematics a system of numerical notation in which the value of a digit depends upon its position in the number, successive positions representing successive powers of a fixed base:the conversion of the number to the binary scale
  • Photography the range of exposures over which a photographic material will give an acceptable variation in density.
  • 3 Music an arrangement of the notes in any system of music in ascending or descending order of pitch:the scale of C major

verb

[with object]
  • 1climb up or over (something high and steep):thieves scaled an 8-foot fence
  • 2represent in proportional dimensions; reduce or increase in size according to a common scale: (as adjective scaled)scaled plans of the house
  • [no object] (of a quantity or property) be variable according to a particular scale.
  • 3estimate the amount of timber that will be produced from (a log or uncut tree).

Phrases

play (or sing or practice) scales

Music perform the notes of a scale as an exercise for the fingers or voice.

to scale

with a uniform reduction or enlargement:it is hard to build models to scale from a drawing

in scale

(of a drawing or model) in proportion to the surroundings.

Phrasal Verbs

scale something back

reduce something in size, number, or extent, especially by a constant proportion across the board:in the short term, even scaling back defense costs money

scale something down (or scale down)

reduce something (or be reduced) in size, number or extent, especially by a constant proportion across the board:manufacturing capacity has been scaled down his whole income scaled down by 20 percent

scale something up (or scale up)

increase something (or be increased) in size or number:one cannot suddenly scale up a laboratory procedure by a thousandfold

Derivatives

scaler

noun

Origin:

late Middle English: from Latin scala 'ladder' (the verb via Old French escaler or medieval Latin scalare 'climb'), from the base of Latin scandere 'to climb'

scale in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of scale in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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