scalp
Americannoun
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scalps
plural
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the integument of the upper part of the head, usually including the associated subcutaneous structures.
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a part of this integument with the accompanying hair, severed from the head of an enemy as a sign of victory, as by some North American Indians and others during the colonial and frontier periods in the U.S.
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any token of victory.
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the integument on the top of the head of an animal.
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Informal. a small profit made in quick buying and selling.
verb (used with object)
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scalps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
scalped,
past participle, past
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scalping
present participle
-
to cut or tear the scalp from.
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Informal.
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to resell (tickets, merchandise, etc.) at higher than the official rates.
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to buy and sell (stocks) so as to make small quick profits.
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to plane down the surfaces of (an ingot, billet, or slab).
verb (used without object)
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scalps,
present (3rd person singular)
-
scalped,
past participle, past
-
scalping
present participle
noun
-
anatomy the skin and subcutaneous tissue covering the top of the head
-
(among North American Indians) a part of this removed as a trophy from a slain enemy
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a trophy or token signifying conquest
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hunting a piece of hide cut from the head of a victim as a trophy or as proof of killing in order to collect a bounty
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informal a small speculative profit taken in quick transactions
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dialect a projection of bare rock from vegetation
verb
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to cut the scalp from
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informal to purchase and resell (securities) quickly so as to make several small profits
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informal to buy (tickets) cheaply and resell at an inflated price
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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scalpsimple
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scalpssimple
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have scalpedperfect
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has scalpedperfect
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am scalpingprogressive
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are scalpingprogressive
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is scalpingprogressive
-
have been scalpingperfect progressive
-
has been scalpingperfect progressive
Past
-
scalpedsimple
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had scalpedperfect
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was scalpingprogressive
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were scalpingprogressive
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had been scalpingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scalp
1250–1300; Middle English (north) (noun), perhaps < Old Norse skālpr sheath (hence, metaphorically a covering)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
As a result, the studies can reveal patterns and associations, but they cannot determine whether GLP-1 medications directly caused the reported nail, hair, or scalp problems.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
He received food packages and had access to a red-light helmet he believes is good for his hair and scalp.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
The fine print: Can cause short-term itching in the scalp.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
They combined three immune-boosting proteins in a gel and placed it directly beneath the scalp.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2026
By the mid-1670s, scalp hunting had become part of an organized system throughout the colonies.
From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
There is no escape: Garbagemen find them in their shoes at night; or writhing in their arm hair; or embedded in their scalps.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
State laws restricting private-equity involvement in the medical sector have taken their first scalps, as authorities signal an aggressive approach to enforcement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
It could end up being a three-way contest, with the SNP's Angus Robertson one of the biggest potential scalps of the election.
From BBC ● Apr. 16, 2026
They claimed some impressive scalps along the way - beating Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in the league phase before winning both legs against last season's finalists Inter Milan in the knockout play-offs.
From BBC ● Mar. 17, 2026
Along with the man, the main room is filling with others who look just like Chancellor Nyla, Crick, and Voxy—blonde braids twirling across their scalps.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
“In fact, the exhibitors set the price and, frankly, with tickets at Lincoln Square being scalped for $1,000, I think there’s room to move up the prices for a film.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
“This worthy president,” retorted Biddle in 1834, “thinks that because he has scalped Indians and imprisoned judges, he is to have his way with the Bank. He is mistaken.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
The fairways have a base of bermudagrass which is scalped down and overseeded with ryegrass every September.
From BBC ● Nov. 11, 2020
The final showing was so popular that tickets were scalped, and the film won the festival’s first-ever audience award.
From New York Times ● Aug. 22, 2019
But I was no longer a boxing fan, since that incident years ago, so when Uncle Pietrus, a boxing fanatic, obtained two scalped tickets and invited me along, I refused.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
On the scalping site StubHub, tickets for the BTS shows in Mexico are going for as much as $13,000.
From Barron's ● May 5, 2026
Washington’s intention to wage a humane and gentlemanly war for American independence was subsumed by proliferating mayhem, especially on the remote frontiers, where practices such as scalping were well established.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
The central questions of how to remedy high resale ticket prices, scalping and anti-competitive practices at concert giants like Live Nation are complex.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2025
During a tour, he will buy extra pit tickets with his own money and distribute them to the group at face value to combat scalping.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 6, 2023
Tell everybody, when you write your story, that they’re scalping our souls out here.”
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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