scale

The relative size, extent, or degree of something compared to a standard.

• The disaster occurred on a scale that no local agency was prepared to handle.

A device or instrument used to measure weight.

• Step onto the scale so the nurse can record your current weight.

One of the small, thin, overlapping plates covering the skin of fish and reptiles.

• The chef scraped each silvery scale off the salmon before slicing the fillets.