scalp

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the skin that covers the top of the head

   They wanted to take my scalp as a trophy.

2. 2
   verb

   remove the scalp of

   The enemies were scalped.

3. 3
   noun

   The part of the head where the hair grows from, or used to grow from.

   By the bare scalpe of Robin Hoods fat Fryer, / This fellow were a King, for our wilde faction.

4. 4
   noun

   A victory, especially at the expense of someone else.

   [At the American State Convention in 1856 the Hon E. M. Yerger of Yazoo said that] he came up to the great council fire of his people, not like his friends Cobb, Hillyer and Brooke, with no scalps at his girdle that he had had a fight and a glorious victory.

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”).

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