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Synonyms for scale

noun

  1. A series for measurement

    rule, computation, system; see measure 2, order 3.

  2. A flake or film

    thin coating, covering, incrustation; see flake, layer.

  3. A device for weighing; often plural

    steelyard, stilliard, balance, scale beam, spring scale, trebuchet, Roman balance, stapel scale, Danish balance.

    Varieties of scales, sense 3, include: beam, automatic indicating, counter, cylinder, drum, barrel, flexure plate, plate fulcrum, platform, spring, electronic, digital, computing, household, miner's, assayer's.

  4. Musical tones

    range, diatonic scale, chromatic scale, major scale, minor scale, whole tone scale, harmonic scale, melodic scale; see also music.

on a large scale

extensively, grandly, expansively; see generously.

on a small scale

economically, in a small limited way, with restrictions; see inadequate 1, unimportant.

verb

  1. To climb

    ascend, surmount, mount; see climb 2.

  2. To peel

    exfoliate, strip off, flake; see peel, skin.

  3. To measure

    compare, balance, compute, size, allow due weight, estimate, calibrate, graduate, have a weight of, make of an exact weight.

See scale in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II

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