scaffold

American  

[skaf-uhld, -ohld] / ˈskæf əld, -oʊld /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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verb

1. to provide with a scaffold

2. to support by means of a scaffold

Other Word Forms

• scaffolder noun
• unscaffolded adjective

Etymology

Origin of scaffold

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

Example Sentences

Cognitive autonomy—the capacity to think for yourself, to hold ideas in your head, to reason without scaffolding—isn’t only personally valuable.

From The Wall Street Journal

The inferno swept through seven of the estate's eight towers, which were under renovation and wrapped in bamboo scaffolding, netting and foam boards -- materials that may have accelerated the spread of flames.

From Barron's

They then added the new cells to this scaffold and placed it in a bioreactor - a special container that pumps vital growth fluids through the tissue - to grow and mature for a week.

From BBC

Actress Rose Byrne gives a visceral portrayal of a burnt out mother who feels alone in her struggle to meet the needs of her daughter and hold up the scaffolding of family life.

From BBC

Yards away from the Union Street fire site the A-listed Egyptian Halls have been covered by scaffolding for years.

From BBC

Related Words

• scaffolding
• stage