de-scale

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitivetechnical

   to remove the hard white mineral coating that forms inside kettles, pipes, or machines that heat water.

   Grammar: Takes an object: de-scale the kettle. The object is the appliance, not the coating.

   Patterns

   • de-scale something
   • de-scale a kettle
   • de-scale a machine

   You should de-scale the kettle every few months if you live in a hard-water area.

   The coffee machine stopped working until we de-scaled it.

   A vinegar solution will de-scale the shower head overnight.

2. 2verbtransitive

   to remove the small hard plates from the skin of a fish before cooking it.

   Grammar: Takes an object: de-scale the fish. Often used as a participle: a de-scaled fish.

   Patterns

   • de-scale a fish
   • de-scale the fish

   Ask the fishmonger to de-scale the fish for you.

   She de-scaled the bass and rinsed it under cold water.

   The recipe is easier if the fish is de-scaled and gutted first.

Word forms

Common combinations

de-scale a kettle

Use lemon juice to de-scale a kettle naturally.

de-scale a fish

It takes practice to de-scale a fish without making a mess.

de-scale regularly

If you de-scale regularly, the heating element lasts longer.

need de-scaling

The shower head clearly needs de-scaling.

Synonyms and how they differ

clean

Much more general; clean removes dirt, while de-scale targets hard mineral buildup.

descale

The same word without a hyphen; both spellings are accepted, and the unhyphenated form is common in product instructions.

Word family

scale noun

The hard mineral layer or the small plate on a fish.

de-scaler noun

A product or tool used to remove scale.

de-scaling noun

The process of removing scale.

Commonly confused: de-scale or descend? de-scale or scale?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “de-scale”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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