: 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
At one station, congregants pick up a scallop shell, a physical reminder of the pilgrimage through life, and dip it in water and grains of sand.—Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 10 Sep. 2025 After all, scallops were a key element in Queen Anne and Victorian era designs from the 18th and 19th centuries, respectively.—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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 In summer months, locals and visitors love scalloping, the underwater equivalent of a giant Easter egg hunt.—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 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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