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Added 8 October 2026

scalp

/skælp/ noun

In Latin: calva Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about scalp at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

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

verb

Sell illegally, as on the black market.
Remove the scalp of.
The enemies were scalped

Origin

From Middle English scalp, skalp, scalpe (“crown of the head; skull”). Originally a northern word, and therefore probably from a North Germanic source, although the sense-development is unclear; compare Sylt North Frisian Skolp (“dandruff”), Old Norse skálpr (“sheath”), Old Swedish skalp, Dutch schelp (“shell”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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