Definition

1. Noun:

   • The skin covering the top of the human head: The "scalp" is the skin and underlying tissue on the crown of the head, typically covered with hair.
   • A piece of this skin, especially one taken as a trophy: Historically, among some cultures, the "scalp" of a defeated enemy was taken as a sign of victory.

2. Verb:

   • To remove the scalp from: This action involves cutting or tearing the skin from the top of a person's head.
   • To resell something, especially tickets, at a price higher than the official one: This informal usage refers to buying something in demand and selling it for a profit, often illegally or unethically.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • He felt an itch on his scalp.
  • In the old stories, warriors would take the scalp of their foe.

• Verb:

  • The brutal practice was to scalp their captives.
  • He tried to scalp the concert tickets online for three times their face value.

Advanced Usage

• To be out for scalps: To be aggressively seeking to defeat or humiliate opponents.

  • The prosecutor was out for scalps during the intense cross-examination.

• To have a dry/itchy scalp: A common phrase referring to a condition of the skin on one's head.

  • This shampoo is designed for people who have a dry scalp.

Variants and Related Words

• Scalper (n): A person who engages in the activity of scalping tickets or other goods.
  • The scalper was arrested outside the stadium.
• Scalping (n): The act or practice of scalping, either in the historical/trophy sense or the commercial resale sense.
  • Ticket scalping is illegal in many jurisdictions.

Synonyms

• Noun (skin): Crown, pate.
• Verb (resell): Resell, tout (British English).

Related Phrasal Verbs

(This word does not commonly form phrasal verbs.)

Related Idioms

• To scalp someone: To severely criticize or defeat someone. (Informal, extending from the verb's aggressive meaning).
  • The debate moderator really scalped the candidate for avoiding the question.

Noun

1. the skin that covers the top of the head
   • they wanted to take his scalp as a trophy

Verb

1. remove the scalp of
   • The enemies were scalped
2. sell illegally, as on the black market