/ skælp; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
the skin that covers the part of the head where the hair grows
2.
(in the past) the skin and hair that was removed from the head of a dead enemy by some Native American peoples as a sign of victory
3.
( informal ) a symbol of the fact that sb has been defeated or punished :
They have claimed some impressive scalps in their bid for the championship.
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
to remove the skin and hair from the top of an enemy's head as a sign of victory
2.
( NAmE ) = tout
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (denoting the skull or cranium): probably of Scandinavian origin.