Meanings
scaffolding1
plural scaffoldings
- uncountableusuallyA temporary modular system of tubes, bamboo or wood forming a framework used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures.
[…] transparent scaffoldings partially draped with often hallucinatory nets of lines, gouges, hatching and cross-hatching that somehow also depict varying degrees of flesh, features and expression.
2007 December 21, The New York Times, “Museum and Gallery Listings”, in New York Times1 more example
On the day of RAIL 's site visit, in heavy weather, the scaffolding and decking that engineers stand on were submerged deep under choppy water, with work suspended. "We have to work around the tides," explained Project Director Alan Venables. "The wind pushes the tide up and the waves get larger. That causes some problems with the scaffold."
2023 March 22, Paul Clifton, “Network News: Island Line to reopen to Ryde Pier in June... possibly”, in RAIL, number 979, page 24 - uncountableusuallycomputingSource code etc. that is incomplete and serves as a basis for further development.
scaffolding2
- gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of scaffold
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
scaffolding · noun
- Middle Englishscaffaldyng
- Englishscaffolding
Inherited from Middle English scaffaldyng, skaffaldyng, equivalent to scaffold + -ing.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →scaffolding · verb
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἴκρια
- ἴκρια (íkria)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Arabic سِقَالَات, سِقَالَة
- سِقَالَات (siqālāt)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
- سِقَالَة (siqāla)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Catalan bastida
- bastidasystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Chinese Cantonese 棚架
- 棚架system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Chinese Mandarin 腳手架 /脚手架
- 腳手架 /脚手架 (jiǎoshǒujià)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Czech lešení
- lešenísystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Dutch steiger
- steigersystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Esperanto skafaldo
- skafaldosystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Estonian tellingud
- tellingudsystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Finnish rakennusteline
- rakennustelinesystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
French échafaudage
- échafaudagesystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
German Baugerüst, Gerüst
- Baugerüstsystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
- Gerüstsystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Greek σκαλωσιά, ικρίωμα
- σκαλωσιά (skalosiá)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
- ικρίωμα (ikríoma)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Hebrew פיגום
- פיגוםsystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Hindi पायठ
- पायठ (pāyaṭh)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Hungarian állványzat, állvány
- állványzatsystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
- állványsystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Irish scafalra
- scafalrasystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Italian ponteggio, impalcatura
- ponteggiosystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
- impalcaturasystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Japanese 足場
- 足場 (ashiba)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Korean 비계
- 비계 (bigye)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Māori rangitupu, tīrewa
- rangitupusystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
- tīrewasystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Norwegian Bokmål stillas
- stillassystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Polish rusztowanie
- rusztowaniesystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Portuguese andaime
- andaimesystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Romanian eşafodaj
- eşafodajsystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Russian леса́
- леса́ (lesá)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Scottish Gaelic sgafallachd, sgafailean
- sgafallachdsystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
- sgafaileansystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Spanish andamiaje, andamio
- andamiajesystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
- andamiosystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
- andamiadasystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Swedish byggnadsställning
- byggnadsställningsystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Thai นั่งร้าน
- นั่งร้าน (nâng-ráan)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Turkish iskele
- iskelesystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Ukrainian риштува́ння
- риштува́ння (ryštuvánnja)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Vietnamese giàn, giàn giáo
- giànsystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
- giàn giáosystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Welsh sgaffaldiau
- sgaffaldiausystem of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Yiddish רישטעוואַניע
- רישטעוואַניע (rishtevanye)system of tubes or poles used to support people and material
Cite this entry
scaffolding. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scaffolding
“scaffolding.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scaffolding. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scaffolding,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scaffolding.
Source: scaffolding on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.