scaffold

[ skaf-uhld, -ohld ]

noun

1. a temporary structure for holding workers and materials during the construction, repair, or decoration of a building.
2. an elevated platform on which a criminal is executed, usually by hanging.
3. a raised platform or stage for shows or performances, the seating of spectators, etc.
4. any raised framework or system of such frameworks.
5. a suspended platform used by painters, window washers, and others for working on a tall structure, such as a skyscraper.
6. Cell Biology, Genetics. any of various extracellular framelike components found naturally in genomic material and synthesized for tissue engineering.
7. Metallurgy. any piling or fusion of materials in a blast furnace, obstructing the flow of gases and preventing the uniform descent of the charge.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish (a building or other structure) with a system of temporary platforms for supporting workers and materials during construction, repairs, cleaning, etc.:

   Our team will scaffold the building in order to provide access for restorative work and maintenance.

2. to be the support or foundation for:

   All knowledge is scaffolded by its physical and social contexts.

3. Education.
   1. to aid (learners or their learning) using a method in which support in the application of a new skill is gradually reduced until the individual learner can demonstrate it independently, after which the mastered skill becomes the basis for acquiring the next new skill in a similar way:

      Showing students how to do something can be an effective first step in scaffolding learning.

      The program scaffolds middle-school learners through the scientific inquiry process.

   2. to design (learning materials, curriculum, etc.) to suit this method of instruction:

      This paper explains the model used to scaffold lessons for English language learners.

scaffold

/ ˈskæfəld; -fəʊld /

noun

1. a temporary metal or wooden framework that is used to support workmen and materials during the erection, repair, etc, of a building or other construction
2. a raised wooden platform on which plays are performed, tobacco, etc, is dried, or (esp formerly) criminals are executed

verb

1. to provide with a scaffold
2. to support by means of a scaffold

Derived Forms

• ˈscaffolder, noun

Other Words From

• un·scaf·fold·ed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of scaffold¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English scaffalde, scaffot, skaffaut, from Old French escadafaut; akin to catafalque

Word History and Origins

Origin of scaffold¹

C14: from Old French eschaffaut, from Vulgar Latin catafalicum (unattested); see catafalque

Example Sentences

First a scaffold of cartilage, like the wobbly bit on the end of your nose, forms.

From BBC

The team hopes that their new bio-inspired microfluidic fabrication technique could be used in various fields of science and engineering, potentially leading to more efficient microreactors, advanced heat exchangers, and innovative tissue engineering scaffolds.

From Science Daily

Attached to the scaffolds are compounds called amines.

From Los Angeles Times

It's deeply tied to the larger political project that Vance, far more than Trump himself, is deeply enmeshed in: Building the pseudo-intellectual scaffolding to justify fascism.

From Salon

Charli’s stage setup was minimal — no dancers, no band, just Charlotte Aitchison alone on some scaffolding and a big LED rig.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• scaffolding
• stage