scalp

noun

\ ˈskalp

Definition of scalp

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the part of the integument of the human head usually covered with hair in both sexes

b : the part of an animal (such as a wolf or fox) corresponding to the human scalp

2a : a part of the human scalp with attached hair cut or torn from an enemy as a token of victory

b : a trophy of victory or accomplishment

3 chiefly Scotland : a projecting mass of bare ground or rock

scalp

verb

scalped; scalping; scalps

Definition of scalp (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to deprive of the scalp

b : to remove an upper part from

2 : to remove a desired constituent from and discard the rest

3 : to buy and sell so as to make small quick profits scalp stocks scalp grain especially : to resell at greatly increased prices scalp theater tickets

intransitive verb

1 : to take scalps

2 : to profit by slight market fluctuations

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Examples of scalp in a Sentence

Verb

Some members of the tribe were scalped by the attacking warriors.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Fiery Aries people tend to run hot (and sometimes hot-headed), so Nicholas recommends anti-inflammatory things (hello, peppermint tea); a prickly-pear hair mask and a handsome comb nod to associations with cacti and the scalp. — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, "The Best Beauty Gifts for Your Horoscope-Obsessed Friend by Astrological Sign," 13 Dec. 2018 After a while, the repetitive motion and the gentle pull in her scalp calmed her down. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "The geopolitics of the afterlife get messy in the new sci-fi spy novel Summerland," 17 June 2018 Painless metal discs placed on his scalp made a continuous recording of Donal’s brain waves using electroencephalography. — Suzanne O’sullivan, WSJ, "Confessions of the Miswired Brain," 5 Oct. 2018 No one wants to go around with an oily mop, but some of the products designed to clean said mop can take a toll on your scalp, or cost a premium at the drugstore. — Jean Nick, Good Housekeeping, "How to Make Your Own Shampoo With Ingredients You Have in Your Kitchen," 31 July 2017 The efficacy of products like scalp exfoliators and ph-balancing shampoos? — Evelyn Crowley, Vogue, "The 6 Biggest Skincare Breakthroughs of 2018," 19 Dec. 2018 The salt in the ocean acted as a pre-wash scalp treatment that helped get the ton of product out of my hair. — Noel Cymone Walker, SELF, "7 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way Wearing My Hair Natural at the Beach," 25 Sep. 2018 The company’s hero product is the ACV Hair Rinse, a gentle shampoo-and-conditioner alternative that balances and cleans the scalp, without stripping the hair’s oils or color. — Alexandra Engler, Harper's BAZAAR, "I Got My Hair Colored Like Jennifer Aniston At An Invite-Only Hollywood Salon," 29 Aug. 2018 My face would shine because of all the hair oil rushing from my scalp. — Dana Snitzky, Longreads, "How To Be a Plain Girl," 2 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The report also concluded the officers did not racially profile two black men accused of scalping tickets to a Loyola Ramblers' basketball game. — Ryan Smith, Chicago Reader, "Loyola clears campus police of using excessive force against students of color in viral video," 21 June 2018 Russia has made World Cup scalping punishable by a fine for individual sellers of up to 25 times the ticket’s face value. — Washington Post, "Scalpers still operating at World Cup despite crackdown," 14 June 2018 Last week, Leibel was found guilty for the first-degree murder of Iana Kasian, who was found drained of her blood, scalped and tortured in their West Hollywood apartment in May 2016. — Alexia Fernandez, PEOPLE.com, "Trust Fund Graphic Novelist Sentenced to Life in Prison For Torturing Fiancée Next to Baby Daughter," 26 June 2018 When someone scalps a ticket, that money is being lost from the industry so it's less money spent on future shows, merchandise, streaming, food and beverage at the venue. — Karen Bliss, Billboard, "Face Value Ticket Reseller Twickets, Endorsed By Ed Sheeran and Arctic Monkeys, Banks on Appeal to Ethical Music Lovers: Q&A," 17 May 2018 Zenger was hired from Illinois State to fix an athletic department that was still reeling from the firing of football coach Mark Mangino and an embarrassing ticket scalping scandal. — BostonGlobe.com, "Ex-Olympian Ariana Kukors Smith sues USA Swimming," 22 May 2018 Concert organizers in China have also increasingly deployed facial-recognition systems to curb scalping by verifying the identities of ticket-holders. — Chun Han Wong, WSJ, "With Pop Star as Bait, China Nabs Suspects Using Facial Recognition," 22 May 2018 Inspired to break the stigma surrounding scalp issues, Nancy worked with a natural product chemist to develop a holistic approach to scalp healing and soothing that’s simple and effective. — Erin Levi, Good Housekeeping, "8 Healthy Uses For Activated Charcoal (And 3 You Can Skip)," 25 Mar. 2017 And the optics of scalping a Native American certainly wasn’t lost on me. — William Lee, chicagotribune.com, "‘Westworld’ Episode 1 recap: 5 things to know about ‘Journey Into Night’ and the start of Season 2," 22 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scalp.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

17 Feb 2019

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The first known use of scalp was in the 14th century

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More Definitions for scalp

scalper

noun

Financial Definition of scalper

What It Is

The term scalpers refers to securities traders who manipulate the market. Scalpers may also refer to traders who earn relatively small amounts of money from the arbitrage between bid prices and ask prices on securities.

How It Works

In the case of market manipulation, scalpers may buy a security, then recommend the security to investors and take a profit on the difference between their price and the sales price once the market demand raises the price.

Scalpers may also act as market makers, making a spread between the bid price and the ask price of a security. The role of market makers is to provide liquidity in the trading of securities, taking bids and settling on prices. The profits are realized from the difference between the ask price and the bid price on a security. The arbitrage gain on these spreads is usually small and short-term.

Why It Matters

Scalping to profit from the increase in the price of a security as a result of manipulating the market is a fraud under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940. The prohibition applies to registered and unregistered investment advisors.

The scalper's business actually overlaps and competes with the designated market maker. However, because the market maker is usually designated by the exchange and has specific, proprietary information about the security, and has substantial capital resources, the general scalper is at a disadvantage.

Source: Investing Answers

scalp

verb

Financial Definition of scalp

What It Is

Scalping is a form of day trading that involves earning small profits on large volumes of securities.

How It Works

A day trader is a very active securities trader who holds securities for a very short time (generally one day or less). If a day trader wants to scalp, he or she would buy and sell shares when there are small changes in the stock price. For example, if the price of Company XYZ rises from $41.50 to $41.55, the difference is only a nickel. To most investors, that's not a compelling change, but scalpers capitalize on this by buying 100,000 shares at $41.50 and selling at $41.55 for a profit of $5,000. If this price change takes place in the course of just one trading day, which is entirely possible, the trader can make $5,000 in a day. Often, the price changes are even smaller than $0.05 a share for scalpers to profit.

Why It Matters

Scalpers execute most of their transactions online, and it is important to note that the number of trades influences the amount of brokerage commissions paid. Some day traders avoid using market makers or brokers by purchasing memberships in direct-access broker systems. These systems send orders to an electronic communications network (ECN), which is a computerized matching system that allows traders to advertise bid or ask prices and execute trades.

Day trading requires analytical skills and discipline, and many people have made day trading a career. However, day trading is exceptionally speculative and therefore requires considerable financial and emotional stamina to withstand substantial risk.

Source: Investing Answers

scalp

noun