Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1200-1300
Language: Old North French
Origin: escafaut, from Vulgar Latin catafalicum; CATAFALQUE

scaffold

 noun
     
Related topics: Construction
scaf‧fold [countable]
1TBC a structure built next to a wall, for workers to stand on while they build, repair, or paint a building
2 a raised structure which was used in the past as a place to kill criminals by hanging them or cutting off their heads
3 American EnglishTBC a structure that can be moved up and down to help people work on high buildings [= cradle British English]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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