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Glite Dictionary
Douglas sea scale

Douglas sea scale

8.9
A scale of numbers that shows wave height at sea from 0 calm to 9 very high
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : escala marina Douglas
  • The captain consulted the Douglas sea scale to estimate wave heights during the storm.

Examples

  • Mariners use the Douglas sea scale to report current sea conditions accurately.

  • According to the Douglas sea scale, the sea state was classified as rough.

  • The Douglas sea scale measures wave heights.

  • On the Douglas sea scale, waves can reach heights of nine.

  • Mariners use the Douglas sea scale to assess the height of waves at sea.

  • The Douglas sea scale indicates a rough sea state when the waves are over four meters high.

  • According to the Douglas sea scale, a score of eight indicates very high and dangerous waves.

Synonyms

Douglas scale
vsDouglas sea scale
  • Specialized
8.6

A scale that measures how high sea waves are, from 0 calm to 9 very large

is the same numbered system but with the fuller traditional name
international sea and swell scale
vsDouglas sea scale
  • Specialized
6.7

A scale that shows how high sea waves and long smooth waves are

is the numeric system using numbers from zero to nine for height

Surface Forms

Douglas sea scale singular
Douglas sea scales plural

Morphology

Douglas + sea + scale

The core meaning — a scale for describing the sea or sea/wave conditions — is directly derivable from combining 'sea' and 'scale', so a learner who knows those words will infer it's a numerical system for assessing the sea. 'Douglas' functions as a proper name/attribution and does not obscure the compositional meaning, so the expression is transparently interpretable even if the learner does not know the historical origin or exact numeric range.

Etymology

Douglas sea scale was named after a man called Douglas who made a simple numbered scale to show how rough the sea was. Sailors used the numbers to 'measure' wave height from calm to very high, so the name now means a way to describe 'sea conditions'.