Scale \Scale\, n. [Cf. AS. scealu, scalu, a shell, parings; akin
to D. schaal, G. schale, OHG. scala, Dan. & Sw. skal a shell,
Dan. skiael 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.]
1. (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.
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Fish that, with their fins and shining scales,
Glide under the green wave. --Milton.
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2. 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.
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3. (Zool.) 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.
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4. (Zool.) A scale insect. (See below.)
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5. (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.
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6. The thin metallic side plate of the handle of a
pocketknife. See Illust. of Pocketknife.
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7. An incrustation deposit on the inside of a vessel in which
water is heated, as a steam boiler.
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8. (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.
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Covering scale (Zool.), a hydrophyllium.
Ganoid scale. (Zool.) See under Ganoid.
Scale armor (Mil.), armor made of small metallic scales
overlapping, and fastened upon leather or cloth.
Scale beetle (Zool.), the tiger beetle.
Scale carp (Zool.), a carp having normal scales.
Scale insect (Zool.), any one of numerous species of small
hemipterous insects belonging to the family Coccidae, 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
Hepaticae; -- so called from the small imbricated
scalelike leaves of most of the species. See Hepatica,
2, and Jungermannia.
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Moss \Moss\ (m[o^]s; 115), n. [OE. mos; akin to AS. me['o]s, D.
mos, G. moos, OHG. mos, mios, Icel. mosi, Dan. mos, Sw.
mossa, Russ. mokh', L. muscus. Cf. Muscoid.]
1. (Bot.) A cryptogamous plant of a cellular structure, with
distinct stem and simple leaves. The fruit is a small
capsule usually opening by an apical lid, and so
discharging the spores. There are many species,
collectively termed Musci, growing on the earth, on rocks,
and trunks of trees, etc., and a few in running water.
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Note: The term moss is also popularly applied to many other
small cryptogamic plants, particularly lichens, species
of which are called tree moss, rock moss, coral moss,
etc. Fir moss and club moss are of the genus
Lycopodium. See Club moss, under Club, and
Lycopodium.
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2. A bog; a morass; a place containing peat; as, the mosses
of the Scottish border.
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Note: Moss is used with participles in the composition of
words which need no special explanation; as,
moss-capped, moss-clad, moss-covered, moss-grown, etc.
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Black moss. See under Black, and Tillandsia.
Bog moss. See Sphagnum.
Feather moss, any moss branched in a feathery manner, esp.
several species of the genus Hypnum.
Florida moss, Long moss, or Spanish moss. See
Tillandsia.
Iceland moss, a lichen. See Iceland Moss.
Irish moss, a seaweed. See Carrageen.
Moss agate (Min.), a variety of agate, containing brown,
black, or green mosslike or dendritic markings, due in
part to oxide of manganese. Called also Mocha stone.
Moss animal (Zool.), a bryozoan.
Moss berry (Bot.), the small cranberry (Vaccinium
Oxycoccus).
Moss campion (Bot.), a kind of mosslike catchfly (Silene
acaulis), with mostly purplish flowers, found on the
highest mountains of Europe and America, and within the
Arctic circle.
Moss land, land produced accumulation of aquatic plants,
forming peat bogs of more or less consistency, as the
water is grained off or retained in its pores.
Moss pink (Bot.), a plant of the genus Phlox (Phlox
subulata), growing in patches on dry rocky hills in the
Middle United States, and often cultivated for its
handsome flowers. --Gray.
Moss rose (Bot.), a variety of rose having a mosslike
growth on the stalk and calyx. It is said to be derived
from the Provence rose.
Moss rush (Bot.), a rush of the genus Juncus (Juncus
squarrosus).
Scale moss. See Hepatica.
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