Adjective: scaly (scalier,scaliest) skey-lee
- (zoology) having the body covered or partially covered with thin horny plates, as some fish and reptiles
"The scaly iguana basked in the sun";
- scaley, scaled, squamous
- (biology) rough to the touch; covered with scales or scurf
"The scaly surface of the plant's leaves helps it conserve water";
- lepidote, leprose, scabrous, scurfy
Derived forms: scaliest, scalier
See also: armored [US], armoured [Brit, Cdn], rough, unsmooth
Encyclopedia: Scaly