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''scantling'' ▫ᴱᴺ｜Definition｜1st｜20260915190735-00-⌔

scantling - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

Noun

scantling (countable and uncountable, plural scantlings)

  • (chiefly in the plural) The set size or dimension of a piece of timber, stone etc., or materials used to build ships or aircraft.
  • (archaic) A small portion, a scant amount.
    • ✤ Synonyms: jot, tidbit; see also Thesaurus: modicum
    • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, The Essayes […], London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:, Folio Society, 2006, vol.1, p.204:
      • ✤ For one may have particular knowledge of the nature of one river, and experience of the qualitie of one fountaine, that in other things knowes no more than another man: who neverthelesse to publish this little scantling, will undertake to write all of the Physickes.
    • ✤ Such as exceed not this scantling, to be solace to the sovereign and harmless to the people.1
    • ✤ A pretty scantling of his knowledge may taken by his deferring to be baptized so many years.2
    • ✤ Reducing them to narrow scantlings.3
  • A small, upright beam of timber used in construction, especially less than five inches square.
  • (uncountable) Timber in the form of small beams and pieces.
    • ✤ Victor, with hammer and nails and scraps of scantling, was patching a corner of one of the galleries.4
  • (obsolete) A rough draught; a crude sketch or outline.
    • ✤ Synonyms: catagraph, jotting, precedent, thumbnail
  • (obsolete) A frame for casks to lie upon; a trestle.
    • ✤ These casks should be placed upon scantling or scaffolding, and not upon the ground in the cellar5

Adjective

scantling (comparative more scantling, superlative most scantling)

  • Not plentiful; small; scanty.
    • ✤ Synonyms: see Thesaurus: inadequate, Thesaurus: rare
    • ✤ Heav’ns Glorie to atchieve, what scantling Span Hath the frail Pilgrimage of Man!6

Etymology

Alteration of scantillon +‎ -ling, from Old French escantillon (“sample pattern”) (Modern French échantillon). Later senses also influenced by similarity with scant.

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈskæntlɪŋ/
  • Audio (Southern England): 🔊
  • Hyphenation: scant‧ling

Printed 2026-09-15.

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Footnotes

  1. 1625, Francis[Bacon], “Of Honor and Reputation”, in The Essayes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Iohn Haviland for Hanna Barret, →OCLC: ↩

  2. 1641 May, John Milton, Of Reformation Touching Church-Discipline in England: And the Causes that hitherto have Hindred it. […], [London]: […] Thomas Vnderhill, →OCLC: ↩

  3. 1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC: ↩

  4. 1899, Kate Chopin, The Awakening: ↩

  5. 1855, The Vine: ↩

  6. 1652, Edward Benlowes, Theophila: ↩