1. the relationship between a distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the earth —note e.g., a scale of 1:24,000 means that 1 unit of measurement on the map equals 24,000 of the same units on the earth's surface 2. ecology the level of spatial resolution perceived or considered 3. entomology —see scale insect 4. utilization to measure the weight or volume of a log, load of logs, or stacked fuelwood —note the person who measures is a scaler —see checkscaler, grading This definition last updated 08/02/2008