scaffolding

[skaf-uhl-ding, -ohl-]

noun

1. 1. a system of temporary structures having platforms to support workers and materials during the construction, repair, or decoration of a building.

      The scaffolding on the cathedral is finally coming down, and the workers can move on.

   2. materials for building such structures.

      We sell aluminum scaffolding to clients all over the country.

   3. the act or process of building such structures.

      During the scaffolding of the building complex, a specially designed lift carried all the pieces to their places.

2. Education.

   1. a method of instruction in which the learner is provided with gradually reduced support in the application of a new skill until they can demonstrate it independently: the mastered skill then provides the basis for acquiring the next new skill in a similar way.

      Through careful scaffolding, my students learned to persevere and use a range of strategies to solve math problems.

   2. the preparation or design of learning materials for use with this method.

      This grading approach requires the careful and strategic scaffolding of lesson plans and assignments.

3. anything that forms a support or basis for something else.

   The general framework of subtasks provides a scaffolding for the more complex computational tasks.

adjective

1. relating to or involving raised platforms or their construction.

   A variety of different scaffolding materials are available for your building project.

   The fair is aimed at reps from companies that regularly hire scaffolding contractors.

2. Education.,  relating to, involving, or intended for a method of teaching skills by giving the learner gradually reduced support in applying a new skill until they can demonstrate it independently, after which it becomes the basis for learning the next skill.

   Some scaffolding exercises were given to students to strengthen their understanding.

scaffolding

/ ˈskæfəldɪŋ /

noun

1. a scaffold or system of scaffolds

2. the building materials used to make scaffolds

Word History and Origins

Origin of scaffolding¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English skaf(f)aldyng; equivalent to scaffold + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Many are new, companies producing numbers today might not stick around, and many rely on government figures as scaffolding.

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Her husband was somewhere inside, setting up scaffolding.

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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.

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

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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.

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Related Words

• scaffold 
• stage