nounπShareA ladder; a series of steps; a means of ascending."The company's career path provided clear scales of promotion, outlining the steps to reach a higher position. "structurewaydeviceChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareAn ordered, usually numerical sequence used for measurement, means of assigning a magnitude."Please rate your experience on a scale from 1 to 10."numbermathscienceChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareSize; scope."The Holocaust was insanity on an enormous scale."amountChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareThe ratio of depicted distance to actual distance."This map uses a scale of 1:10."mathtechnicalChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareA line or bar associated with a drawing, used to indicate measurement when the image has been magnified or reduced."The architect added scales to the blueprint so we could understand the actual size of the rooms. "technicalmathartfigureChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareA series of notes spanning an octave, tritave, or pseudo-octave, used to make melodies."The piano student practiced her scales every day to improve her finger dexterity. "musicChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareA mathematical base for a numeral system; radix."the decimal scale; the binary scale"numbermathsystemChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareGradation; succession of ascending and descending steps and degrees; progressive series; scheme of comparative rank or order."The difficulty of the math problems increased in scales of complexity, starting with basic addition and ending with advanced calculus. "degreesystemrangenumbermathqualitystructureChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareA standard amount of money to be received by a performer or writer, negotiated by a union."The actor received scales for his work on the commercial, as agreed upon by the actors' union. "entertainmentjobbusinesseconomymediaChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verbπShareTo 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."businesstechnologyeconomyprocessChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verbπShareTo climb to the top of."Hilary and Norgay were the first known to have scaled Everest."actionsportChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verbπShareTo tolerate significant increases in throughput or other potentially limiting factors."The company's new cloud infrastructure scales easily to handle the increased traffic during the holiday shopping season. "technologycomputingbusinesssystemChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verbπShareTo weigh, measure or grade according to a scale or system."The teacher scales the difficulty of homework assignments based on the students' current skill level. "systembusinessqualityvalueChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπSharePart of an overlapping arrangement of many small, flat and hard pieces of keratin covering the skin of an animal, particularly a fish or reptile."The snake's scales felt smooth and cool to the touch. "animalbodybiologyanatomypartorganismChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareA small piece of pigmented chitin, many of which coat the wings of a butterfly or moth to give them their color."The butterfly's wing shimmered because of the thousands of tiny scales that covered it. "animalinsectbiologypartappearancecolorChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareA flake of skin of an animal afflicted with dermatitis."The dog's itchy skin left white scales on the furniture after he scratched. "medicineanimaldiseasebodyChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπSharePart of an overlapping arrangement of many small, flat and hard protective layers forming a pinecone that flare when mature to release pine nut seeds."The pinecone opened, revealing its scales and releasing the seeds inside. "plantpartnaturebiologyseedChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareThe flaky material sloughed off heated metal."After welding the gate, he brushed off the loose scales that had formed on the hot metal. "materialsubstancetechnicalindustryChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareScale mail (as opposed to chain mail)."The knight wore a suit of scales, protecting his torso from sword blows. "militarywearweaponChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareLimescale."The kettle had thick scales of limescale inside, so I cleaned it with vinegar. "utilitysubstanceChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareA scale insect."The gardener noticed small, brown scales clinging to the stems of the rose bushes. "insectanimalChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareThe thin metallic side plate of the handle of a pocketknife."The scales on my grandfather's old pocketknife are made of smooth, dark wood. "partutensilitemmaterialChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verbπShareTo remove the scales of."Please scale that fish for dinner."foodanimalfishChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verbπShareTo become scaly; to produce or develop scales."The dry weather is making my skin scale."organismbiologyanimalChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verbπShareTo strip or clear of scale; to descale."to scale the inside of a boiler"animalfoodfishChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verbπShareTo take off in thin layers or scales, as tartar from the teeth; to pare off, as a surface."The dentist used a special tool to scales away the hardened plaque from my teeth. "medicinebodyanatomyChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verbπShareTo separate and come off in thin layers or laminae."Some sandstone scales by exposure."biologyorganismphysiologyChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verbπShareTo scatter; to spread."The wind scales the fallen leaves across the park, creating a colorful swirl. "actionnatureChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
verbπShareTo clean, as the inside of a cannon, by the explosion of a small quantity of powder."After a period of disuse, the artillery crew had to scale the cannon with a small charge before it could be fired safely again. "militaryweaponChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareA device to measure mass or weight."After the long, lazy winter I was afraid to get on the scale."deviceutensilsciencephysicsthingChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareEither of the pans, trays, or dishes of a balance or scales."The baker carefully placed flour in one of the scales and sugar in the other to measure equal amounts for the cake. "utensilitemChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading
nounπShareA device for measuring weight."The butcher put the sausages on the scales."deviceutensilChat with AIVocabulary GamePractice Reading