The Collaborative International Dictionary
Scale \Scale\, n. [Cf. AS. scealu, scalu, a shell, parings; akin to D. schaal, G. schale, OHG. scala, Dan. & Sw. skal a shell, Dan. ski[ae]l a fish scale, Goth. skalja tile, and E. shale, shell, and perhaps also to scale of a balance; but perhaps rather fr. OF. escale, escaile, F. ['e]caille scale of a fish, and ['e]cale shell of beans, pease, eggs, nuts, of German origin, and akin to Goth. skalja, G. schale. See Shale.]
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(Anat.) One of the small, thin, membranous, bony or horny pieces which form the covering of many fishes and reptiles, and some mammals, belonging to the dermal part of the skeleton, or dermoskeleton. See Cycloid, Ctenoid, and Ganoid.
Fish that, with their fins and shining scales, Glide under the green wave.
--Milton. Hence, any layer or leaf of metal or other material, resembling in size and thinness the scale of a fish; as, a scale of iron, of bone, etc.
(Zo["o]l.) One of the small scalelike structures covering parts of some invertebrates, as those on the wings of Lepidoptera and on the body of Thysanura; the elytra of certain annelids. See Lepidoptera.
(Zo["o]l.) A scale insect. (See below.)
(Bot.) A small appendage like a rudimentary leaf, resembling the scales of a fish in form, and often in arrangement; as, the scale of a bud, of a pine cone, and the like. The name is also given to the chaff on the stems of ferns.
The thin metallic side plate of the handle of a pocketknife. See Illust. of Pocketknife.
An incrustation deposit on the inside of a vessel in which water is heated, as a steam boiler.
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(Metal.) The thin oxide which forms on the surface of iron forgings. It consists essentially of the magnetic oxide, Fe3O4. Also, a similar coating upon other metals.
Covering scale (Zo["o]l.), a hydrophyllium.
Ganoid scale. (Zo["o]l.) See under Ganoid.
Scale armor (Mil.), armor made of small metallic scales overlapping, and fastened upon leather or cloth.
Scale beetle (Zo["o]l.), the tiger beetle.
Scale carp (Zo["o]l.), a carp having normal scales.
Scale insect (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of small hemipterous insects belonging to the family Coccid[ae], in which the females, when adult, become more or less scalelike in form. They are found upon the leaves and twigs of various trees and shrubs, and often do great damage to fruit trees. See Orange scale,under Orange.
Scale moss (Bot.), any leafy-stemmed moss of the order Hepatic[ae]; -- so called from the small imbricated scalelike leaves of most of the species. See Hepatica, 2, and Jungermannia.
Usage examples of "scale armor".
Dragoon guards remained stationed at the door, their gold-scale armor and ornate helmets making them look like birds of prey.
But he was also badly wounded, with blood pumping down his side from a brutal rent in his scale armor.
Although the green, hexagonal-scale armor he must have worn under his shirt gaped open over the chest, there was no huge wound, only a raw red line, the kind you saw on a wound that had just been sutured.
Ser Meryn Trant and Ser Osmund Kettleblack were waiting without, in the white scale armor of the Kingsguard.
He wore scale armor over padded silk, with a heavy fur mantle thrown back over his shoulders.
Forty Kushans, wearing good scale armor, hefting their swords and spears with practiced ease, began marching on the Malwa.
A very narrow passageway-crooked, cramped, and lined with scale armor.
The gleaming, night-blue dragon-scale armor of the Highlords suited her well, Tanis caught himself thinking.
This Dragon Highlord, although heavily cloaked and dressed in the shining mask and dragon-scale armor of the Highlords, was human, to judge by the voice, not hobgoblin.
A very narrow passageway -- crooked, cramped, and lined with scale armor.
The bronze-scale armor of the warriors rattled, eyes rolled, tongues moistened lips.
Both of its arms came up, opening the cloak to reveal a leathery scale armor that reminded him, vaguely, of a Panquis armored flesh.
Gold glinted in streaks and speckles on the green scale armor as it towered over him.
Some wore wild-animal skins, others linen or leather tunics beneath Roman scale or ring-mail armor which glittered dangerously in the early sunlight, but most of them wore the scale armor that was a hallmark of Sarmatian heavy cavalry and had been for hundreds of years, going back several centuries before Christ even.