scaly

4 definitions • 2 examples

If skin is scaly, it has small, hard, dry areas that fall off in small pieces:

I get scaly patches on my scalp.

If the inside of a pipe or container that heats water is scaly, it is covered in a hard white or grey layer of material.

covered with scales (= thin pieces of hard skin):

scaly reptiles

If a person’s skin is scaly, it is very dry.