scaffolding

• Audio (Southern England)

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• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈskæfəldɪŋ/, /ˈskæˌfoʊldɪŋ/

Inherited from Middle English scaffaldyng, skaffaldyng, equivalent to scaffold +‎ -ing.

scaffolding (usually uncountable, plural scaffoldings)

1. A temporary modular system of tubes (or formerly wood) forming a framework used to support people and material in the construction or repair of buildings and other large structures.
   • 2007 December 21, The New York Times, “Museum and Gallery Listings”, in New York Times‎:

     […] transparent scaffoldings partially draped with often hallucinatory nets of lines, gouges, hatching and cross-hatching that somehow also depict varying degrees of flesh, features and expression.

   • 2023 March 22, Paul Clifton, “Network News: Island Line to reopen to Ryde Pier in June... possibly”, in RAIL, number 979, page 24:

     On the day of RAIL 's site visit, in heavy weather, the scaffolding and decking that engineers stand on were submerged deep under choppy water, with work suspended. "We have to work around the tides," explained Project Director Alan Venables. "The wind pushes the tide up and the waves get larger. That causes some problems with the scaffold."

2. (programming) Source code etc. that is incomplete and serves as a basis for further development.
3. (figurative) Any framework or support.
   • 2013, Michael F. Mascolo, Sharon Griffin, What Develops in Emotional Development?, page 205:

     We refer to the process by which socialization agents support emotional activity within the child as emotional scaffolding.

• scaffolding tower

• scaffold
• scaffolder

From scaffold +‎ -ing.

scaffolding

1. present participle and gerund of scaffold