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scaley

scaley

1 4.1
Having a body covered with small thin plates like fish or reptiles
  • adjective
  • /ˈskeɪli/
  • UK
: 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
16 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
2 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
1 7.4

Having small flat parts that cover a fish or insect body

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

Antonyms

224 1.0

A surface that is even and not rough

How Scaly

scaled
2 4.9
scaley
  • UK
1 4.1
smooth
224 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.