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

Other Word Forms

• unscaffolded adjective
• scaffolder noun

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

The research team, led by veterinary scientists at the University of Surrey and the APHA, developed the new vaccine using a tried and tested "scaffold".

From BBC

Her husband was somewhere inside, setting up scaffolding.

From Los Angeles Times

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, and forms the scaffolding that helps maintain the structural integrity of our skin and musculoskeletal system.

From BBC

The defining feature of the home is its adaptability — Metzger calls it “a living scaffolding for change and growth.”

From Los Angeles Times

Today, her old home is covered by tarpaulin and scaffolding, as a construction team converts it into luxury "one, two and three-bed apartments designed for short and medium-term rentals", boasts the company's website.

From BBC

Related Words

• scaffolding 
• stage