degree: Politicians have used television with varying degrees of success.
size: He knows the size of the task.
extent: The full extent of the losses was disclosed yesterday.
magnitude: No one seems to realise the magnitude of this problem.
scal|lion /skæ ljən/ (scallions ) N‑COUNT A scallion is a small onion with long green leaves. [AM ] in BRIT, use spring onion
scal|lop /skɒ ləp, skæ l-/ (scallops ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Scallops are large shellfish with two flat fan-shaped shells. Scallops can be eaten.
scal|loped /skɒ ləpt, skæ l-/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Scalloped objects are decorated with a series of small curves along the edges. □ The quilt has pretty, scalloped edges and intricate quilting.
scal|ly|wag /skæ liwæg/ (scallywags ) N‑COUNT If you call a boy or a man a scallywag , you mean that he behaves badly but you like him, so you find it difficult to be really angry with him. [INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ] □ It's his idea of a joke, I suppose, the scallywag.
scalp /skæ lp/ (scalps , scalping , scalped )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] Your scalp is the skin under the hair on your head. □ He smoothed his hair back over his scalp.
2 VERB To scalp someone means to remove the skin and hair from the top of their head. □ [V n] He pretended to scalp me with his sword.
3 N‑COUNT A scalp is the piece of skin and hair that is removed when someone is scalped.
4 VERB If someone scalps tickets, they sell them outside a sports ground or theatre, usually for more than their original value. [AM ] □ [V n] He was trying to pick up some cash scalping tickets. in BRIT, use tout
scal|pel /skæ lp ə l/ (scalpels ) N‑COUNT A scalpel is a knife with a short, thin, sharp blade. Scalpels are used by surgeons during operations.
scalp|er /skæ lpə r / (scalpers ) N‑COUNT A scalper is someone who sells tickets outside a sports ground or theatre, usually for more than their original value. [AM ] □ Another scalper said he'd charge $1000 for a $125 ticket. in BRIT, use tout
scaly /ske I li/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A scaly animal has small pieces of hard skin covering its body. □ The brown rat has prominent ears and a long scaly tail.
2 ADJ If someone's skin is scaly , it has dry areas and small pieces of it come off. □ If your skin becomes red, sore or very scaly, consult your doctor.
scam /skæ m/ (scams ) N‑COUNT A scam is an illegal trick, usually with the purpose of getting money from people or avoiding paying tax. [INFORMAL ] □ They believed they were participating in an insurance scam, not a murder.
scamp /skæ mp/ (scamps ) N‑COUNT If you call a boy a scamp , you mean that he is naughty or disrespectful but you like him, so you find it difficult to be angry with him. [INFORMAL ] □ Have some respect for me, you scamp!
scamp|er /skæ mpə r / (scampers , scampering , scampered ) VERB When people or small animals scamper somewhere, they move there quickly with small, light steps. □ [V prep/adv] Children scampered off the yellow school bus and into the playground.
scam|pi /skæ mpi/ N‑UNCOUNT Scampi are large prawns, often served fried in breadcrumbs. [mainly BRIT ]
scan /skæ n/ (scans , scanning , scanned )
1 VERB When you scan written material, you look through it quickly in order to find important or interesting information. □ [V n] She scanned the advertisement pages of the newspapers. □ [V + through ] I haven't read much into it as yet. I've only just scanned through it. ● N‑SING Scan is also a noun. □ [+ through ] I just had a quick scan through your book again.
2 VERB [no passive] When you scan a place or group of people, you look at it carefully, usually because you are looking for something or someone. □ [V n] The officer scanned the room. □ [V n + for ] She was nervous and kept scanning the crowd for Paul. □ [V prep] He raised the binoculars to his eye again, scanning across the scene.
3 VERB If people scan something such as luggage, they examine it using a machine that can show or find things inside it that cannot be seen from the outside. □ [V n] Their approach is to scan every checked-in bag with a bomb detector. [Also V , V for n] ● scan|ning N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …routine scanning of luggage.
4 VERB If a computer disk is scanned , a program on the computer checks the disk to make sure that it does not contain a virus. [COMPUTING ] □ [V n] The disk has no viruses–I've scanned it already.
5 VERB [usu passive] If a picture or document is scanned into a computer, a machine passes a beam of light over it to make a copy of it in the computer. [COMPUTING ] □ [be V -ed + into/onto ] The entire paper contents of all libraries will eventually be scanned into computers. □ [be V -ed + in/on ] Designs can also be scanned in from paper.
6 VERB If a radar or sonar machine scans an area, it examines or searches it by sending radar or sonar beams over it. □ [V n] The ship's radar scanned the sea ahead.
7 N‑COUNT A scan is a medical test in which a machine sends a beam of X-rays over a part of your body in order to check that it is healthy. □ He was rushed to hospital for a brain scan.
8 N‑COUNT If a pregnant woman has a scan , a machine using sound waves produces an image of her womb on a screen so that a doctor can see if her baby is developing normally.
9 VERB If a line of a poem does not scan , it is not the right length or does not have emphasis in the right places to match the rest of the poem. □ [V ] He had written a few poems. Sid told him they didn't scan.