scāla, ae (acc. to the ancient grammarians, not used in sing.; cf. Varr. L. L. 9, §§ 63 and 68; 10, § 54 Müll.; Quint. 1, 5, 16 Spald.; Charis. p. 20 P. p. 72 ib.; Diom. p. 315 ib. al.; but v. infra), f. [for scandla, from scando; cf. mala, from mando], mostly plur.: scālae, ārum, a flight of steps or stairs, a staircase; a ladder, scaling-ladder.
I Plur.
A Lit.: scalas dare alicui utendas, Plaut. Rud. 3, 1, 10: scalarum gradus, the rounds of a ladder , Caecin. ap. Cic. Fam. 6, 7, 3: Romani scalis summă nituntur opum vi, Enn. ap. Macr. S. 6, 1 (Ann. v. 168 Vahl.); Caes. B. G. 5, 43: scalas ponere, to fix , id. B. C. 1, 28; 3, 40: scalas admovere, id. ib. 3, 63; 3, 80; Cic. Mil. 15, 40; id. Phil. 2, 9, 121: murum scalis aggredi, Sall. J. 57, 4; 60, 7; Verg. A. 9, 507; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 15 et saep.: scalis habito tribus et altis, up three flights of stairs , Mart. 1, 118, 7.—
2 In partic.: Scalae Gemoniae, v. Gemoniae.—*
B Poet., transf., steps : haec per ducentas cum domum tulit scalas, Mart. 7, 20, 20.—
II Sing. (post-class.).
A In gen., a ladder : scalam commodare ad ascendendum, Dig. 47, 2, 55 (54), § 4; cf. Aquil. Rom. p. 181 Ruhnk.—
B Esp.
1 Scala gallinaria, a hen-roost , i. e. a crossbar of like form , used for reducing a dislocated shoulder, Cels. 8, 15 med. —
2 Of Jacob’s ladder , seen in his dream, Vulg. Gen. 28, 12; Hier. Ep. 3, § 4; 108, § 13.