fish scale; insect scale; bud scale
Meanings
3 senses · 9 examplesnoun
scale (on fish, reptiles, or mammals); overlapping plate of horny skin
Refers to the hard, flat structures that cover the skin of fish, snakes, lizards, and some mammals like pangolins.
The scales of this fish sparkle brilliantly in the sunlight.
Snakes regularly shed their old scales in order to grow.
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The pangolin's scales are very hard and can protect it.
noun
scale (on insect wings or body); chitinous plate; squama
Refers to the tiny, often colorful or iridescent scales that cover the wings and body of butterflies, moths, and other insects. These scales create the vivid patterns seen on butterfly wings.
The scales on the butterfly's wings give it a beautiful metallic sheen.
Under a microscope, we can see the tiny scales arranged neatly on the insect's body.
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These scales fall off very easily and will drop with the slightest touch.
noun
bud scale; protective scale covering a plant bud
Refers to the small, scale-like structures that cover and protect plant buds during winter, falling off in spring when the bud begins to grow.
Spring has arrived, and the bud scales are beginning to fall off, revealing the tender shoots inside.
These scales protect the tender buds through the cold winter.
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You can see layers of bud scales covering the branches.