Orig. north. In 4 weye scale, 5 weyscale, -scill, 6 weye skaile, weyskale. [ad. Du. waagschaal or MLG. wageschale (whence MSw. väghskal, Sw. vågskål, older Da. væghskol, Norw. vaagskaal) = G. wagschale († wage-), OE. wǽʓscalu (once). See SCALE sb.1 and next. In recent use perh. a new formation.] The pan of a balance; pl. a pair of scales.

1

13[?].  Metr. Hom. (Vernon MS.), in Archiv Stud. neu. Spr., LVII. 313. Þe ffendes leide in a weye scale Alle pers synnes grete and smale.

2

c. 1440.  Alphabet of Tales, 204. Hym þoght þer was fowle blakk men þatt putt all his ill dedis in a wey-skale. And on þe toder hand hym þoght þer was fayr men, bod þai wer passand hevy, & said þai had no gude dede of his to putt in þe toder wey-skale agayns his ill dedis.

3

1447–8.  Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 87. Pro uno drawghrape et uno smalrape pro Weyscill, 15d. Ibid. (1459–60), 89. j par del Weyscalez cum diversis ponderibus.

4

1582.  Durham Wills (Surtees), II. 45. i paire of weye skailes.

5

1600.  Mem. St. Giles’s, Durh. (Surtees), 27. Paid for mendinge of a weyskale.

6

1897.  Kipling, Captains Courageous, viii. 179. A tall woman who had been sitting on a weigh-scale dropped down into the schooner.

7

  b.  To be on the weigh-scales: to be undecided.

8

1886.  M. Moorsom, Thirteen all Told, 43. Elliot was still on the weigh-scales about going.

9