: 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)
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Noun
That good time starts on the ground floor honky-tonk, which leads up to the restaurant, offering dishes like scallops with artichoke fondue.—Leena Tailor, HollywoodReporter, 3 Oct. 2025 In this latter instance, Swift matched the bag’s all-black colorway to a black top and maxi skirt ensemble out of scallop lace.—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
Located about 25 miles south of Fort Myers, this family-friendly, 33-square-mile barrier island is famous for its collection of shells—especially scallop, clam, and tulip varieties—and sand dollars, forming a veritable treasure trove for collectors.—Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2025 The enigmatic dial is housed in a hand-engraved, scalloped 40.8 mm platinum case with a thickness of 12.6 mm, including a domed sapphire crystal.—Thor Svaboe, Robb Report, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scallop
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English scalop, from Anglo-French escalope shell, of Germanic origin; akin to Middle Dutch schelpe shell
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