San Jose scale

[ sanhoh-zey skeyl ]

/ ˈsæn hoʊˌzeɪ ˈskeɪl /

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noun

a scale insect, Aspidiotus perniciosus, that is highly destructive to fruit trees and shrubs throughout the U.S.

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Origin of San Jose scale

1885–90, Americanism; named after San Jose, California, where first found

Words nearby San Jose scale

sanjak, San Joaquin, San Joaquin Valley, San Joaquin Valley fever, San Jose, San Jose scale, San Juan, San Juan Bautista, San Juan Capistrano, San Juan de la Cruz, San Juan Hill

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use San Jose scale in a sentence

The most recent activity had a high point of 3.6 on the Richter Scale.
26 Earthquakes Later, Fracking’s Smoking Gun Is in Texas|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This is the Mexico that has been called a “failed state” — most recently by Jose “Pepe” Mujica, the president of Uruguay.
Why Mexicans Are Enraged by Obama’s Big Tuesday Meeting|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
San Francisco was the first city to pass one in 2006; since then, 14 other cities and three states have followed suit.
Christie Blames Parents for Bad Economy|Monica Potts|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
So did Alexander Hamilton, and on a grander scale than your AmEx.
Forget the Resolutions; Try a Few Declarations|Kevin Bleyer|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Only two senators opposed the resolution, which the administration later claimed was the authority for a full-scale war.
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
San Antonio de Bexar lies in a fertile and well-irrigated valley, stretching westward from the river Salado.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
Columbus found the natives of San Salvador smoking after this manner.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
The five hundred men whom we had left in San Antonio de Bexar, fared no better.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
On a small scale map, in an office, you may make mole-hills of mountains; on the ground there's no escaping from its features.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
The jagged top and spurs of San Jacinto Mountain shone like the turrets and posterns of a citadel built of rubies.
Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson

British Dictionary definitions for San Jose scale

San Jose scale

noun

a small E Asian homopterous insect, Quadraspidiotus perniciosus, introduced into the US and other countries, where it has become a serious pest of fruit trees: family Diaspididae

Word Origin for San Jose scale

C20: from its first being seen in the United States at San Jose, California

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012