scale

n. [ AS. scāle; perhaps influenced by the kindred Icel. skāl balance, dish, akin also to D. schaal a scale, bowl, shell, G. schale, OHG. scāla, Dan. skaal drinking cup, bowl, dish, and perh. to E. scale of a fish. Cf. Scale of a fish, Skull the brain case. ] 1. The dish of a balance; hence, the balance itself; an instrument or machine for weighing; as, to turn the scale; -- chiefly used in the plural when applied to the whole instrument or apparatus for weighing. Also used figuratively. [ 1913 Webster ]

Long time in even scale
The battle hung. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The scales are turned; her kindness weighs no more
Now than my vows. Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. (Astron.) The sign or constellation Libra. [ 1913 Webster ]

Platform scale. See under Platform. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Scaled p. pr. & vb. n. Scaling. ] To weigh or measure according to a scale; to measure; also, to grade or vary according to a scale or system. [ 1913 Webster ]

Scaling his present bearing with his past. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To scale a debt, wages, etc. or
To scale down a debt, wages, etc., to reduce a debt, etc., according to a fixed ratio or scale. [ U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. AS. scealu, scalu, a shell, parings; akin to D. schaal, G. schale, OHG. scala, Dan. & Sw. skal a shell, Dan. skiael a fish scale, Goth. skalja tile, and E. shale, shell, and perhaps also to scale of a balance; but perhaps rather fr. OF. escale, escaile, F. écaille scale of a fish, and écale shell of beans, pease, eggs, nuts, of German origin, and akin to Goth. skalja, G. schale. See Shale. ] 1. (Anat.) One of the small, thin, membranous, bony or horny pieces which form the covering of many fishes and reptiles, and some mammals, belonging to the dermal part of the skeleton, or dermoskeleton. See Cycloid, Ctenoid, and Ganoid. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fish that, with their fins and shining scales,
Glide under the green wave. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, any layer or leaf of metal or other material, resembling in size and thinness the scale of a fish; as, a scale of iron, of bone, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Zool.) One of the small scalelike structures covering parts of some invertebrates, as those on the wings of Lepidoptera and on the body of Thysanura; the elytra of certain annelids. See Lepidoptera. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Zool.) A scale insect. (See below.) [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Bot.) A small appendage like a rudimentary leaf, resembling the scales of a fish in form, and often in arrangement; as, the scale of a bud, of a pine cone, and the like. The name is also given to the chaff on the stems of ferns. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The thin metallic side plate of the handle of a pocketknife. See Illust. of Pocketknife. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. An incrustation deposit on the inside of a vessel in which water is heated, as a steam boiler. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Metal.) The thin oxide which forms on the surface of iron forgings. It consists essentially of the magnetic oxide, Fe3O4. Also, a similar coating upon other metals. [ 1913 Webster ]

Covering scale (Zool.), a hydrophyllium. --
Ganoid scale. (Zool.) See under Ganoid. --
Scale armor (Mil.), armor made of small metallic scales overlapping, and fastened upon leather or cloth. --
Scale beetle (Zool.), the tiger beetle. --
Scale carp (Zool.), a carp having normal scales. --
Scale insect (Zool.), any one of numerous species of small hemipterous insects belonging to the family Coccidae, in which the females, when adult, become more or less scalelike in form. They are found upon the leaves and twigs of various trees and shrubs, and often do great damage to fruit trees. See Orange scale, under Orange. --
Scale moss (Bot.), any leafy-stemmed moss of the order Hepaticae; -- so called from the small imbricated scalelike leaves of most of the species. See Hepatica, 2, and Jungermannia. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To strip or clear of scale or scales; as, to scale a fish; to scale the inside of a boiler. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To take off in thin layers or scales, as tartar from the teeth; to pare off, as a surface. “If all the mountains were scaled, and the earth made even.” T. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To scatter; to spread. [ Scot. & Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Gun.) To clean, as the inside of a cannon, by the explosion of a small quantity of powder. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To separate and come off in thin layers or laminae; as, some sandstone scales by exposure. [ 1913 Webster ]

Those that cast their shell are the lobster and crab; the old skins are found, but the old shells never; so it is likely that they scale off. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To separate; to scatter. [ Scot. & Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. scalae, pl., scala staircase, ladder; akin to scandere to climb. See Scan; cf. Escalade. ] 1. A ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, anything graduated, especially when employed as a measure or rule, or marked by lines at regular intervals. Specifically: (a) A mathematical instrument, consisting of a slip of wood, ivory, or metal, with one or more sets of spaces graduated and numbered on its surface, for measuring or laying off distances, etc., as in drawing, plotting, and the like. See Gunter's scale. (b) A series of spaces marked by lines, and representing proportionately larger distances; as, a scale of miles, yards, feet, etc., for a map or plan. (c) A basis for a numeral system; as, the decimal scale; the binary scale, etc. (d) (Mus.) The graduated series of all the tones, ascending or descending, from the keynote to its octave; -- called also the gamut. It may be repeated through any number of octaves. See Chromatic scale, Diatonic scale, Major scale, and Minor scale, under Chromatic, Diatonic, Major, and Minor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Gradation; succession of ascending and descending steps and degrees; progressive series; scheme of comparative rank or order; as, a scale of being. [ 1913 Webster ]

There is a certain scale of duties . . . which for want of studying in right order, all the world is in confusion. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Relative dimensions, without difference in proportion of parts; size or degree of the parts or components in any complex thing, compared with other like things; especially, the relative proportion of the linear dimensions of the parts of a drawing, map, model, etc., to the dimensions of the corresponding parts of the object that is represented; as, a map on a scale of an inch to a mile. [ 1913 Webster ]

Scale of chords, a graduated scale on which are given the lengths of the chords of arcs from 0° to 90° in a circle of given radius, -- used in measuring given angles and in plotting angles of given numbers of degrees. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. It. scalare, fr. L. scalae, scala. See Scale a ladder. ] To climb by a ladder, or as if by a ladder; to ascend by steps or by climbing; to clamber up; as, to scale the wall of a fort. [ 1913 Webster ]

Oft have I scaled the craggy oak. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To lead up by steps; to ascend. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Satan from hence, now on the lower stair,
That scaled by steps of gold to heaven-gate,
Looks down with wonder. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of marine annelids of the family Polynoidae, and allies, which have two rows of scales, or elytra, along the back. See Illust. under Chaetopoda. [ 1913 Webster ]