scale

scale1 [ skeıl ] noun ***

▸ 1 size/degree/level/rate

▸ 2 arranged set

▸ 3 relationship of distance

▸ 4 for weighing

▸ 5 series of musical notes

▸ 6 hard flat piece of skin

▸ 7 substance on pipes

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) singular or uncount the size of something, especially when it is big:

scale of: Is the Government aware of the full scale of the problem?

on a large/small/grand/massive etc. scale: This is sculpture on a grand scale.

=> ECONOMIES OF SCALE

a ) the rate at which something is produced, developed, etc.:

scale of: The scale of production in the factory has increased this year.

2. ) usually singular a set of people or things arranged in order from the highest level to the lowest or from the lowest level to the highest:

The rich are at the top of the social scale.

At the other end of the scale are worms and the tiny sea creatures.

a ) a range of measurements in a particular system:

the Celsius scale of temperature

on a scale of 1 to 10: Rate these movies on a scale of 1 to 10.

b ) a list showing the amount of money that someone should be paid for a particular job, according to their qualifications, experience, etc.:

Our scale of fees is shown on the next page.

Expenses will be paid in accordance with the agreed scale.

salary/pay/fee scale: The salary scale is $22,086 to $32,311.

union scale (=the rate agreed by the employers and the workers' union for a job): We're required to pay union scale to everyone who works on-site.

c ) a set of marks, usually lines and numbers, on a piece of equipment or a drawing used for measuring something:

the vertical scale on the graph

3. ) count or uncount the relationship between the actual distance or size of something and how it is shown on a map or in a drawing or model:

This map has a scale of 1:20,000.

a scale of a half-inch to the mile

a ) a scale model/drawing etc. a small copy of something larger in which each part is made smaller by the same amount so that the relation between them is the same as in the original thing:

a scale model of the Great Pyramid

b ) to scale with all the parts the right size in relation to each other:

Is the drawing of the bridge to scale?

4. ) count usually plural a piece of equipment used for weighing people or things:

He weighed himself on the bathroom scales.

a pair/set of scales

=> TIP 2

5. ) count a series of musical notes in a fixed order from the lowest to the highest or the highest to the lowest:

She was practicing scales on her new piano.

6. ) count usually plural one of the small hard flat pieces of skin on the body of a fish, snake, or similar animal

7. ) uncount a hard white substance that forms on the inside of water pipes and containers that are regularly used for heating water: LIMESCALE

the scales fell from my eyes MAINLY LITERARY

used for saying that you suddenly realized the truth about something

scale

scale 2 [ skeıl ] verb transitive

1. ) to climb to or over the top of a high steep object such as a mountain or a wall:

Student protesters scaled an 8-foot fence to enter the Embassy grounds.

2. ) to remove scales from fish

a ) to remove scale from teeth

scale...heights

to achieve a high level of success in a particular activity:

The team scaled new heights with their World Series victory.

They never dreamed of scaling such dizzy heights.

,scale `back or ,scale `down phrasal verb transitive

to make something smaller in size, amount, etc. than it used to be:

The company is scaling back its plans for new stores.

They've scaled back their expenditure considerably.

a scaled-down peacekeeping force

,scale `up phrasal verb transitive

to make something larger in size, amount, etc. than it used to be:

An order this size means scaling up our production capacity.