<B>scald</B> (1), verb, noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to burn with hot liquid or steam. <BR> <I>Ex. She scalded herself with hot grease.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to pour boiling liquid over; use boiling liquid on. <BR> <I>Ex. Scald the dishes before drying them. You scald a pig after you slaughter it (New Yorker).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to heat almost to the boiling point but not quite. <BR> <I>Ex. Scald the milk for the bread dough.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative:) <BR> <I>Ex. The tears that scald the cheek ... (William Cullen Bryant).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Obsolete.) to inflame; irritate. <BR> <I>Ex. Would not a secret ... scald you to keep it? (Philip Massinger).</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to be heated almost to boiling, but not quite. <DD><B> 2. </B>to become burned by hot liquid or steam. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a burn caused by hot liquid or steam. <BR> <I>Ex. The scald on her hand came from carelessly lifting a pot cover.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a browning of foliage by very hot weather. <DD><B> 3. </B>any one of several parasitic plant diseases, especially of cranberries. <DD><I>adj. </I> heated almost to the boiling point; scalded. <BR> <I>Ex. scald milk.</I> </DL>
<B>scalding, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>that scalds; hot enough to scald. <BR> <I>Ex. scalding water. He ... drinks his tea scalding (Scott).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>(Figurative:) <BR> <I>Ex. scalding tears. Our venomous and scalding words ... burn like coals (John Jackson).</I> adv. <B>scaldingly.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="scaldino">
<B>scaldino, </B>noun, pl. <B>-ni.</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a small earthenware brazier used in Italy. </DL>
<A NAME="scale">
<B>scale</B> (1), noun, verb, <B>scaled,</B> <B>scaling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1a. </B>one of the thin, flat, hard plates forming the outer covering of many fishes, snakes, and lizards. <DD><B> b. </B>a part like this in other animals, such as one of the very small plates covering the wings of moths and butterflies or one of the plates covering the tails of certain mammals. <DD><B> c. </B>such scales collectively. <BR> <I>Ex. And fishes which were isles of living scale (Shelley).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>a thin layer like a scale. <BR> <I>Ex. Scales of skin peeled off after she had scarlet fever.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a thin piece of metal or other material. <BR> <I>Ex. the scales of a scale armor. The handle of the pocketknife has an ivory scale on each side.</I> <DD><B> 4a. </B>a mineral coating formed on the inside of something, such as a boiler or kettle, by water during heating. <DD><B> b. </B>an oxide formed on metals when heated. <DD><B> 5a. </B>one of the parts that unite to cover a bud in winter. Scales are modified rudimentary leaves found on the leaf buds of most perennial deciduous plants. <DD><B> b. </B>a part like those of the leaf bud, such as one of the layers of an onion bulb, or one of the scalelike leaves of a rhizome or pine cone. <DD><B> 6. </B>an insect that has a shieldlike covering under which it hides and feeds; scale insect. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to remove scales from. <BR> <I>Ex. He scaled the fish with a sharp knife.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to remove in thin layers. <DD><B> 3. </B>to cover with scales. <DD><B> 4. </B>to throw (a thin flat object) so that it moves edgewise. <BR> <I>Ex. to scale a paper plate.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Scottish.) to cause to separate; disperse; scatter. <BR> <I>Ex. to scale a crowd.</I> <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to come off in scales. <BR> <I>Ex. The paint is scaling off the house.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to become coated with scale. adj. <B>scalelike.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="scale">
<B>scale</B> (2), noun, verb, <B>scaled,</B> <B>scaling.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>the dish or pan of a balance. <DD><B> 2. </B>Usually, <B>scales.</B> a balance; instrument for weighing. <BR> <I>Ex. bathroom scales. The butcher weighed the turkey on the scales. The baby scale helps record the growth of tiny infants (E. A. Fessenden).</I> <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to weigh. <BR> <I>Ex. He scales 180 pounds. Thousands of trout fishermen have never seen a brook trout that scaled six pounds (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to weigh in scales; measure. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) You have found, scaling his present bearing with his past, that he's your fixed enemy (Shakespeare).</I> (SYN) compare. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to be weighed. <DD><B> 2. </B>to have weight. <BR><I>expr. <B>tip the scales,</B> <DD><B> a. </B>to have as one's weight. </I> <I>Ex. Quarterback Joseph Weiss ... stands 6 ft. 4 in. and tips the scales at an even 200 lbs. (Time).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>(Figurative.) to overbalance one for another. <BR> <I>Ex. He also believes that the scales have been unduly tipped in favor of ambitious, power-hungry labor bosses by ... legislation of the New Deal period (Wall Street Journal).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>turn the scale</B> (or <B>scales</B>), <DD><B> a. </B>to weigh slightly more than. </I> <I>Ex. He had weighed it carefully ... and it turned the scale at thirty-four pounds (J. K. Jerome).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>(Figurative.) to determine the success or superiority of one of two opposing actions or sides; preponderate; decide. <BR> <I>Ex. The scale was turned in favour of strong measures by the voice of the native troops (William Stubbs).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="scale">
<B>scale</B> (3), noun, verb, <B>scaled,</B> <B>scaling,</B> adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>a series of steps or degrees; scheme of graded amounts, especially from the lowest to the highest. <BR> <I>Ex. The scale of wages in this factory ranges from ten dollars to twenty dollars a day. He was not at all certain that it did not sometimes happen lower down the scale (London Times).</I> <DD><B> 2a. </B>a series of marks made along a line or curve at regular distances to use in measuring. A thermometer has a scale. <DD><B> b. </B>an instrument marked in this way, used for measuring. <DD><B> 3a. </B>the size of a plan, map, drawing, or model compared with what it represents. <BR> <I>Ex. This map is drawn to a scale of one inch for each 100 miles.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the equally divided line, as on a map, plan, or chart, that indicates this relationship. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Figurative.) relative size or extent. <BR> <I>Ex. The rich woman entertains on a large scale.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>a system of numbering. <BR> <I>Ex. The decimal scale counts by tens, as in cents, dimes, dollars.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>(Music.) a series of tones ascending or descending in pitch. <BR> <I>Ex. She practices scales on the piano.</I> <DD> (Abbr:) sc. <DD><B> 7. </B>a graded series of tests or problems used to measure something, such as intelligence, learning, or adjustment. <DD><B> 8. </B>an estimate of the number of board feet in logs or trees. <DD><B> 9. </B>(Obsolete.) <DD><B> a. </B>a ladder or staircase or other means of ascent. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) A scale by which the soul ascends from mighty means to more important ends (William Cowper).</I> <DD><B> b. </B>a rung of a ladder. <DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to reduce or increase by a certain amount in relation to other amounts. <BR> <I>Ex. To draw this map, mileage was scaled down to one inch for each 100 miles. The 22 striking unions--which had scaled down their wage demands to an 18 1/2-cent-an-hour boost ... (Newsweek). Their figures must be scaled up to contemporary levels (London Times).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to climb up or over. <BR> <I>Ex. They scaled the wall by ladders.</I> (SYN) ascend, mount. <DD><B> 3. </B>to make according to a scale. <DD><B> 4. </B>to measure by, or as if by, a scale. <DD><B> 5. </B>to estimate the number of board feet in (logs or trees). <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to go upward; climb. (SYN) ascend, mount. <DD><B> 2. </B>to form a graduated series. <DD><I>adj. </I> based upon or using a scale. <BR> <I>Ex. a scale drawing, scale singing.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="scalearmor">
<B>scale armor,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> armor consisting of small, overlapping scales of metal, horn, or leather. </DL>
<A NAME="scaleboard">
<B>scaleboard, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>a very thin board used for the back of a picture, veneer, or the like. <DD><B> 2. </B>a thin strip of wood used in aligning hand-set type. </DL>
<A NAME="scalecarp">
<B>scale carp,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any fish of a variety of carp, covered evenly with scales, having a long dorsal fin and growing up to four feet in length. </DL>
<A NAME="scaleddown">
<B>scaled-down, </B>adjective. =scale-down.</DL>
<A NAME="scaledove">
<B>scale dove,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various small doves or pigeons of tropical America having feathers that look like scales. </DL>
<A NAME="scaledown">
<B>scale-down, </B>adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> being reduced by a certain proportion. <BR> <I>Ex. Mill buying was scale-down in nature with the cotton textile market currently in a lull (Wall Street Journal).</I> <DD><I>noun </I> a proportional reduction. <BR> <I>Ex. They're buying a little on a scale-down in the stocks they like (New York Times).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="scaledquail">
<B>scaled quail,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a quail of the western and southwestern United States, having a crest and slate-blue feathers. </DL>
<A NAME="scaledup">
<B>scaled-up, </B>adjective. =scale-up.</DL>
<A NAME="scalehopper">
<B>scale hopper,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a device in the cupola of a grain elevator for weighing the grain. </DL>
<A NAME="scaleinsect">
<B>scale insect,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various small insects that feed on and often destroy plants by piercing them and sucking the sap. The females have the body and eggs covered by a waxy scale or shield formed by a secretion from the body. Certain kinds are a source of lac or dye. </DL>
<A NAME="scaleleaf">
<B>scale leaf,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> one of the parts that unite to cover a bud in winter; scale. </DL>
<A NAME="scaleless">
<B>scaleless, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>without scales. <BR> <I>Ex. The catfish is scaleless.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>not done to scale. <BR> <I>Ex. a scaleless drawing or sculpture.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="scalemodel">
<B>scale model,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a model of something with all parts proportional. <BR> <I>Ex. a scale model of the new hospital.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="scalemoss">
<B>scale moss,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> any one of various liverworts with small, overlapping, scalelike leaves. </DL>
