- [singular, uncountable] the size or extent of something, especially when compared with something else
- on a … scale They entertain on a large scale (= they hold expensive parties with a lot of guests).
- Here was corruption on a grand scale.
- On a global scale, 77 per cent of energy is created from fossil fuels.
- Corporations are borrowing on a massive scale.
- Western-style consumerism is unsustainable on a global scale.
- Manufacturing is done on a small scale.
- His work as a portrait painter is small in scale.
- to achieve economies of scale in production (= to produce many items so the cost of producing each one is reduced)
- scale of something It was impossible to comprehend the full scale of the disaster.
- It was not until morning that the sheer scale of the damage could be seen (= how great it was).
- The scale of the problem is difficult to measure.
Extra ExamplesTopics Maths and measurementb2- Do they always entertain on such a lavish scale?
- It is difficult to comprehend the sheer scale of the suffering caused by the war.
- The dolls are now produced on a commercial scale.
- They plan to expand the scale and scope of their operations.
- We need to determine the scale of the problem.
- a misuse of presidential power on an unprecedented scale
- pollution on a massive scale
- What if a global scale catastrophe happens?
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- full
- big
- considerable
- …
- expand
- increase
- reduce
- …
- scale of
- in scale
- on a scale
- …
- an economy of scale
- given the scale of
- [countable] a range of levels or numbers used for measuring something
- a five-point pay scale
- to evaluate performance on a scale from 1 to 10
- The salary scale goes from £12 000 to £20 000.
- a scale of charges
- Use the following scale to rate each item.
Extra ExamplesTopics Maths and measurementb2- After ten years, she had worked her way to the top of the pay scale.
- Please see the attached sheet for our scale of fees.
- On a scale of 1 to 10, he scores 7.
- Patients were asked to state their level of anxiety on a 10-point rating scale.
- On the response sheet, the scale of answers ranged from ‘excellent’ to ‘extremely poor’.
- There is an ascending scale of penalties for traffic offences.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- fixed
- sliding
- five-point
- …
- use
- construct
- develop
- …
- go from… to…
- range from… to…
- be based on
- …
- on a/the scale
- scale of… to…
- the bottom of the scale
- the end of the scale
- the top of the scale
- …
- [countable, usually singular] the set of all the different levels of something, from the lowest to the highest
- At the other end of the scale, life is a constant struggle to get enough to eat.
- You're higher on the social scale than I am.
Extra Examples- Farm workers were always considered to be low down on the social scale.
- At what point on the evolutionary scale do birds come?
- At the bottom end of the scale, there are people living on under a dollar a day.
- He has risen up the social scale from rather humble beginnings.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- fixed
- sliding
- five-point
- …
- use
- construct
- develop
- …
- go from… to…
- range from… to…
- be based on
- …
- on a/the scale
- scale of… to…
- the bottom of the scale
- the end of the scale
- the top of the scale
- …
- [countable] a series of marks at regular points on an instrument that is used for measuring
- How much does it read on the scale?
- He read the altitude in degrees off the scale.
- scales[plural](North American English also scale)an instrument for weighing people or things
- bathroom/kitchen/weighing scales
- (figurative) the scales of justice (= represented as the two pans on a balance)
- [countable] the relation between the actual size of something and its size on a map, diagram or model that represents it
- a scale of 1:25 000
- a scale model/drawing
- Both plans are drawn to the same scale.
- to scale Is this diagram to scale? (= are all its parts the same size and shape in relation to each other as they are in the thing represented)
Extra ExamplesTopics Maths and measurementb2- He's made a scale model of the Eiffel Tower.
- The map has a scale of one centimetre to the kilometre.
- The plan of the building is not drawn to scale.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverb + scale- draw something to
- have
- drawing
- model
- to scale
- scale of… to…
- [countable] a series of musical notes moving upwards or downwards, with fixed intervals between each note, especially a series of eight starting on a particular note
- the scale of C major
- to practise scales on the piano
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- major
- minor
- play
- sing
- practise/practice
- …
- scale of
- [countable] any of the thin plates of hard material that cover the skin of many fish and reptiles
- The beast was a dragon, with great purple and green scales.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- overlapping
- fine
- thin
- …
- be covered in
- be covered with
- (British English also fur)[uncountable] a hard white substance that is sometimes left inside water pipes and containers for heating water see also limescale
- [uncountable] a hard substance that forms on teeth, especially when they are not cleaned regularly compare plaque
size
range of levels
marks for measuring
weighing instrument
of map/diagram/model
in music
of fish/reptile
in water pipes, etc.
on teeth
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 4 and noun senses 6 to 7 late Middle English: from Latin scala ‘ladder’ (the verb via Old French escaler or medieval Latin scalare ‘climb’), from the base of Latin scandere ‘to climb’. noun sense 5 Middle English (in the sense ‘drinking cup’, surviving in South African English): from Old Norse skál ‘bowl’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schaal, German Schale ‘bowl’, also to English dialect shale ‘dish’. noun senses 8 to 10 Middle English: shortening of Old French escale, from the Germanic base of scale (noun - sense 5).
Idioms
See scale in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee scale in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishtip the balance/scales
(also swing the balance)
- to affect the result of something in one way rather than another
- In an interview, smart presentation can tip the scales in your favour.
- New evidence tipped the balance against the prosecution.
tip the scales at something
- to weigh a particular amount
- He tipped the scales at just over 80 kilos.
Check pronunciation:
scale