short scale

noun

A system of numeric names in which every new term with -illion greater than million is 1,000 times the previous term. (i.e., a billion is a thousand million.)

OriginFrench échelle courte →
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Meanings

noun
  1. A system of numeric names in which every new term with -illion greater than million is 1,000 times the previous term. (i.e., a billion is a thousand million.)

Origin

  1. Frenchéchelle courte
  2. Englishshort scale

Calque of French échelle courte.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan escala curta
  • escala curtaTranslations
Esperanto mallonga skalo
  • mallonga skaloTranslations
French échelle courte
  • échelle courteTranslations
Italian scala corta
  • scala cortaTranslations
Portuguese escala curta
  • escala curtaTranslations
Spanish escala corta
  • escala cortaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

short scale. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short%20scale

MLA

“short scale.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short%20scale. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “short scale,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/short%20scale.

Source: short scale on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.