scallop

1 of 2

noun

scal·​lop ˈskä-ləp How to pronounce scallop (audio)
ˈska-,
ˈskȯ- How to pronounce scallop (audio)
variants or less commonly scollop
ˈskä- How to pronounce scallop (audio)
ˈskȯ-
1
a
: any of numerous marine bivalve lamellibranch mollusks (family Pectinidae) that have a radially ribbed shell with the edge undulated and that swim by opening and closing the valves
b
: the adductor muscle of a scallop as an article of food
2
a
: a valve or shell of a scallop
b
: a baking dish shaped like a valve of a scallop
3
: one of a continuous series of circle segments or angular projections forming a border (as on cloth or metal)
4
5
[French escalope, probably from Middle French, shell] : a thin slice of boneless meat or fish
veal scallops

called also escalope

Illustration of scallop

Illustration of scallop
  • scallop 2a

scallop

2 of 2

verb

variants or less commonly scollop
scalloped also scolloped; scalloping also scolloping; scallops also scollops

transitive verb

1
a
: to shape, cut, or finish in scallops
b
: to form scallops in
2
[from the use of a scallop shell as a baking dish] : to bake in a sauce usually covered with seasoned bread or cracker crumbs
scalloped potatoes

intransitive verb

: to gather or dredge scallops

Examples of scallop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Freshly picked salad greens, kohlrabi sculpted into a scallop (and somehow even more delicious than the real thing), and plums baked into a featherlight clafouti all share the table. Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 21 Mar. 2024 Recent menus featured cauliflower with California White Sturgeon caviar and wild foraged greens and a seafood tower with Foxley River oysters, Bay scallops, and Dungeness crab dip. Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 Larger mains encompass octopus, scallops, and coho salmon on the seafood side, and steak, duck, and pork on the meat side. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 4 Mar. 2024 Examples include flounder and black bass from Long Island, branzino and dorado from Greece, Dover sole from Dover in England and scallops from Maine. Shivani Vora, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The menu includes a bottle of champagne, duck liver mouse, fish, scallops, steak, vegetables and red velvet cake. Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 12 Feb. 2024 Emerald Seafood Chowder Spinach and parsley lend verdant color and nutrition to this soup that calls for your pick of white fish, such as cod or halibut, and scallops. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 27 Jan. 2024 The build-a-catch bags are customizable — choose among clams, crawfish, shrimp (heads on or off), scallops, lobster tail, four kinds of crab and both black and New Zealand green mussels. Kendyl Kearly, Baltimore Sun, 11 Jan. 2024 Pops of color are so infrequent, the beet salad, a bright hedge, took me by surprise — picture Dorothy closing the door on Kansas for somewhere over the rainbow — but only because its neighbors on the table were mostly beige, including an entree of scallops arranged on a gently sweet turnip cream. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
Wind scalloped the surface of the water and Michi made a thumbs-down sign. Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 9 Feb. 2024 These sprawling, curved surfaces have scalloped edges that extend into long tendrils. Quanta Magazine, 7 Feb. 2024 Warren wore red swim trunks, which matched nearly perfectly with Lorde's red strapless scalloped bikini. Jessica Sager, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023 Today Almería is a sleepy provincial port surrounded by mountains that travelers often pass through quickly en route to the beaches that scallop the coast. Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Aug. 2023 Everyday tasks are elevated with warm woods and handcrafted one-of-a-kind pieces, like their checkerboard wood scalloped coasters. Mariah Thomas, Good Housekeeping, 2 Aug. 2023 Worse yet, pavement that's scalloped near the shoulder gives the front end fits. Rich Ceppos, Car and Driver, 11 May 2023 The steering holds up its end of the bargain, imparting a confident sense of straight-ahead unfettered by crosswinds and scalloped road edges. Dan Edmunds, Car and Driver, 13 May 2023 Yet the counter is always buzzing and stocks a full daily selection of fish for sushi: hamachi, Hokkaido scallops, ahi tuna, bluefin tuna, octopus, Scottish salmon. Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scallop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English scalop, from Anglo-French escalope shell, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch schelpe shell

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1682, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of scallop was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near scallop

Cite this Entry

“Scallop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scallop. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

scallop

1 of 2 noun
scal·​lop ˈskäl-əp How to pronounce scallop (audio) ˈskal- How to pronounce scallop (audio)
1
a
: any of a family of marine mollusks with a two-part ribbed shell
b
: a muscle of the scallop used for food
2
: one of the two parts of a scallop shell
3
: one of a continuous series of rounded half-circles forming a border (as on lace)

scallop

2 of 2 verb
1
: to bake in a sauce usually covered with seasoned bread or cracker crumbs
scalloped potatoes
2
: to shape, cut, or make an edge in scallops

More from Merriam-Webster on scallop

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