Scaffold

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈskæfəʊld/
• US IPA: /ˈskæfÉ™ld/ or IPA: /ˈskæfl ̩d/

Origin

Middle English scaffold, scaffalde (""), from scaffaldus (""), from Old French eschaffaut, escadafaut ("platform to see a tournament"), from Late Latin scadafaltum (""), from ex- ("") + *cadafaltum, catafalcum ("view-stage"), from Old Italian *catare ("to view, see") + falco ("a stage"), a variant of balco ("stage, beam, balk"), from Lombardic palko, palcho ("scaffold, balk, beam"), from Proto-Germanic *balkô ("beam, rafter"), from Proto-Indo-European *bhelg- ("beam, plank"). Akin to Old High German balco, balcho ("scaffold, balk, beam"). More at catafalque, balcony, balk.

Full definition of scaffold

Noun

1. A structure made of scaffolding, for workers to stand on while working on a building.
2. An elevated platform on which a criminal is executed.
3. (metalworking) An accumulation of adherent, partly fused material forming a shelf or dome-shaped obstruction above the tuyeres in a blast furnace.

Derived terms

• go to the scaffold
• send to the scaffold
• superscaffold, superscaffolding

Verb

1. (transitive) To set up a scaffolding; to surround a building with scaffolding.

Derived terms

• scaffoldage
• scaffolder
• scaffolding