MEANING
To remove the skin and hair covering the top of someone's head.
Use it for
Head mutilation; bodily evidence of a deliberate attack; a removed covering exposing anatomyMake the loss of the scalp explicit without relying on historical stereotypes.
Words that belong together
- scalped victim
- scalp a prisoner
- scalped remains
On the page
The report stated that the victim had been scalped.
The attacker threatened to scalp the captive.
The machine scalped its operator when her hair caught in a moving belt.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- scalp / scalps
- Past tense
- scalped
- Past participle
- scalped
- Present participle
- scalping
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- scalp / scalps
- Present continuous
- am/is/are scalping
- Present perfect
- have/has scalped
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been scalping
- Past
- scalped
- Past continuous
- was/were scalping
- Past perfect
- had scalped
- Past perfect continuous
- had been scalping
- Future
- will scalp / scalps
- Future continuous
- will be scalping
- Future perfect
- will have scalped
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been scalping
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Literal mutilation differs from reselling tickets at high prices. The body sense is severe; do not use it for an ordinary haircut or superficial scratch. Verb [base, third-person present, past, past participle, -ing]: scalp, scalps, scalped, scalped, scalping.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.