Scagliola, skal-yō′la, n. a composition made to imitate the more costly kinds of marble and other ornamental stones.—Also Scal′iola. [It. scagliuola, dim. of scaglia, a scale, a chip of marble or stone.]
Scaith, skāth, n. (Scot.) damage.—adj. Scaith′less. [Scathe.]
Scala, skā′la, n. (surg.) an instrument for reducing dislocation: a term applied to any one of the three canals of the cochlea:—pl. Scā′læ.—adj. Scā′lable, that may be scaled or climbed.—ns. Scālade′, an assault, as an escalade—also Scalä′do; Scā′lar (math.), in the quaternion analysis, a quantity that has magnitude but not direction.—adj. of the nature of a scalar.—n.pl. Scalā′ria, the ladder-shells or wentle-traps.—adjs. Scālar′iform, shaped like a ladder; Scā′lary, formed with steps. [L., a ladder.]
Scalawag, Scallawag, skal′a-wag, n. an undersized animal of little value: a scamp: a native Southern Republican, as opposed to a carpet-bagger, during the period of reconstruction after the American Civil War. [From Scalloway in the Shetland Islands, in allusion to its small cattle.]
Scald, skawld, v.t. to burn with hot liquid: to cook slightly, as fruit, in hot water or steam: to cleanse thoroughly by rinsing with very hot water.—n. a burn caused by hot liquid.—ns. Scald′er, one who scalds vessels: a pot for scalding; Scald′-fish, a marine flat fish; Scald′ing, things scalded; Scald′-rag, a nickname for a dyer.—Scalding hot, so hot as to scald. [O. Fr. escalder (Fr. échauder)—Low L. excaldāre, to bathe in warm water—ex, from, calidus, warm, hot.]
Scald, Skald, skald, n. one of the ancient Scandinavian poets.—adj. Scald′ic, relating to, or composed by, the Scalds. [Ice. skáld.]
Scald, skawld, n. scurf on the head.—adj. scurfy, paltry, poor.—ns. Scald′berry, the blackberry; Scald′-crow, the hooded crow; Scald′-head, a fungous parasitic disease of the scalp, favus. [Scall.]
Scaldino, skal-dē′nō, n. an Italian earthenware brazier:—pl. Scaldi′ni. [It.]
Scale, skāl, n. a ladder: series of steps: a graduated measure: (mus.) a series of all the tones ascending or descending from the keynote to its octave, called the gamut: the order of a numeral system: gradation: proportion: series.—v.t. to mount, as by a ladder: to ascend: to draw in true proportion: to measure logs: to decrease proportionally, as every part.—v.i. to lead up by steps: (Scot.) to disperse, to spill, to spread as manure.—ns. Scale′-board (print.), a thin slip of wood for extending a page to its true length, making types register, securing uniformity of margin, &c.; Scale′-pipette′, a tubular pipette with a graduated scale for taking up definite quantities of liquid; Scal′ing-ladd′er, a ladder used for the escalade of an enemy's fortress: a fireman's ladder: (her.) a bearing representing a ladder, with two hooks and two ferrules. [L. scala, a ladder—scandĕre, to mount.]
Scale, skāl, n. one of the small, thin plates on a fish or reptile: a thin layer: a husk: the covering of the leaf-buds of deciduous trees: a piece of cuticle that is squamous or horny: a flake: an encrustation on the side of a vessel in which water is heated.—v.t. to clear of scales: to peel off in thin layers.—v.i. to come off in thin layers.—ns. Scale′-arm′our, armour consisting of scales of metal overlapping each other: plate-mail; Scale′-back, a marine worm covered with scales.—adjs. Scale′-bear′ing, having scales, as the sea-mice; Scaled, having scales: covered with scales.—ns. Scale′-dove, an American dove having the plumage marked as with scales; Scale′-fish, a dry cured fish, as the haddock; Scale′-foot, the scabbard-fish; Scale′-in′sect, any insect of the homopterous family Coccidæ.—adj. Scale′less, without scales, as the scaleless amphibians.—n. Scale′-moss, certain plants which resemble moss.—adj. Scale′-patt′ern, having a pattern resembling scales.—ns. Scale′-quail, an American quail having scale-like markings of the plumage; Scā′ler, one who makes a business of scaling fish: an instrument used by dentists in removing tartar.—adjs. Scale′-tailed, having scales on the under side of the tail; Scale′-winged, having the wings covered with minute scales, as a butterfly.—ns. Scale′-work, scales lapping over each other; Scale′-worm, a scale-back: Scal′iness, the state of being scaly: roughness; Scal′ing, the process of removing scales from a fish, or encrustations from the interior of a boiler; Scal′ing-fur′nace, a furnace in which plates of iron are heated for the purpose of scaling them, as in tinning.—adj. Scal′y, covered with scales: like scales: shabby: (bot.) formed of scales. [A.S. sceale, scale, the scale of a fish; Ger. schale, shell.]