Meaning

One who scalps, or removes the scalp of another..

Definitions by Sense

1. One who scalps, or removes the scalp of another.
2. (US, Canada) One who scalps tickets to popular entertainment events: buying them in advance and then selling them (e.g. online or just outside the venue of the event), often at inflated prices.
3. (by extension) One who scalps any other item with limited availability.
4. (gambling) A gambler who scalps.
5. (finance) A person on an open outcry exchange trading floor who buys and sells rapidly for his or her own account, aiming to buy from a seller and a little later sell to a buyer, making a small profit from the difference (roughly the amount of the bid/offer spread, or less).
6. A machine for removing the ends of grain, such as wheat or rye, or for separating the different grades of broken wheat, semolina, etc.
7. A surgical instrument for scraping carious bones.

Example Sentences

Denouncing representations of hostile Indians as vicious scalpers of innocent settlers […]

We could see three different scalpers moving through the crowd outside the arena, each muttering the characteristic refrain: “Need any tickets?”

Although 4.1 million tickets were sold for the 2023 shows—including over 2 million on the first day, a new record—scalpers jacked up prices on the secondary market to more than $22,000.

The only sure thing about scalping the Series today is that the scalper is paying the bookie a greater profit because he is making a greater number of bets.

Word Forms

• scalpers

Synonyms for scalper

Related Words

When Should You Use Scalper?

Use scalper when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions