noun / verb
scale
A thin hard plate on an outer surface.
Overlapping scales protect the fish's skin as it swims.
Etymology
The covering-word comes through a northern French form with Germanic ancestry. Fish scales and similar thin plates share this source, not every scale word.
More examples
- A shiny scale clings to the cutting board.
- Hard water leaves a layer of scale inside the kettle.
- The cook scales the fish before frying it.
Forms
scale · scales · scaled · scaling
scaly adjective — Covered with small plates or flakes.