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scaley

scaley

4.1
Having a body covered with small thin plates like fish or reptiles
  • adjective
  • /ˈskeɪli/
  • UK
translation icon : escamoso
  • The scaley skin of the fish was covered in shiny, overlapping plates.

Examples

  • The scaley skin of the lizard glistened in the sun.

  • Many reptiles are scaley, which helps protect their bodies from injury.

  • After the lizard shed its skin, it appeared even more scaley than before.

  • The scaley texture of the fish made it easy to identify its species.

  • Some fish have scaley bodies that help them swim efficiently.

  • Many reptiles have scaley bodies that protect them in their natural habitats.

  • The scaley texture of the chameleon was not only unique but also helpful for camouflage.

Synonyms

scaly
vsscaley
15 3.3

A surface with small, flat pieces like fish or reptile skin

refers to real thin overlapping horny plates on the body
scaled
vsscaley
4.9

Covered with small overlapping hard plates like fish or armor

is limited to animal bodies with thin overlapping horny plates
scalelike
vsscaley
  • Specialized
7.4

Having small flat parts that cover a fish or insect body

means actual body plates that are thin, overlapping, and horny

Antonyms

256 1.0

A surface that is even and not rough

How Scaly

scaled
4.9
scaley
  • UK
4.1
smooth
256 1.0

Surface Forms

scaley positive

Morphology

scaley = scale (transparent) = scale + y

The word 'scaley' is transparently derived from 'scale' with the suffix '-y', indicating the quality of having scales.

Etymology

Scaley comes from the word scale, which means a small hard 'plate' like those on fish or reptiles. So something scaley is covered with many small plates or flakes that help protect the body.