Part 84

Scalp, v. i. To make a small, quick profit by slight fluctuations of the market; -- said of brokers who operate in this way on their own account.

Scal"pel (skl"pl), n. [L. scalpellum, dim. of scalprum a knife, akin to scalpere to cut, carve, scrape: cf. F. scalpel.] (Surg.) A small knife with a thin, keen blade, -- used by surgeons, and in dissecting.

Scalper (sklp"r), n. 1. One who, or that which, scalps.

2. (Surg.) Same as Scalping iron, under Scalping.

3. A broker who, dealing on his own account, tries to get a small and quick profit from slight fluctuations of the market.

4. A person who buys and sells the unused parts of railroad tickets.

Scalp"ing (sklp"ng), a. & n. from Scalp.

Scalping iron (Surg.), an instrument used in scraping foul and carious bones; a raspatory. -- Scalping knife, a knife used by North American Indians in scalping.

Scal"pri*form (?), a. [L. scalprum chisel, knife + -form.] (Anat.) Shaped like a chisel; as, the scalpriform incisors of rodents.

Scal"y (?), a. 1. Covered or abounding with scales; as, a scaly fish. "Scaly crocodile." Milton.

2. Resembling scales, laminæ, or layers.

3. Mean; low; as, a scaly fellow.

4. (Bot.) Composed of scales lying over each other; as, a scaly bulb; covered with scales; as, a scaly stem.

Scaly ant-eater (Zoöl.), the pangolin.

Scal"y-winged` (?), a. (Zoöl.) Scale-winged.

Scam"ble (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Scambled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Scambling.] [Cf. OD. schampelen to deviate, to slip, schampen to go away, escape, slip, and E. scamper, shamble.] 1. To move awkwardly; to be shuffling, irregular, or unsteady; to sprawl; to shamble. "Some scambling shifts." Dr. H. More. "A fine old hall, but a scambling house." Evelyn.

2. To move about pushing and jostling; to be rude and turbulent; to scramble. "The scambling and unquiet time did push it out of . . . question." Shak.

Scam"ble, v. t. To mangle. [Obs.] Mortimer.

Scam"bler (?), n. 1. One who scambles.

2. A bold intruder upon the hospitality of others; a mealtime visitor. [Scot.]

Scam"bling*ly (?), adv. In a scambling manner; with turbulence and noise; with bold intrusiveness.

{ Scam"ell (?), or Scam"mel }, n. (Zoöl.) The female bar-tailed godwit. [Prov. Eng.]

Whether this is the scamel mentioned by Shakespeare ["Tempest," ii. 2] is not known.

||Sca*mil"lus (?), n.; pl. Scamilli (#). [L., originally, a little ||bench, dim. of scamnum bench, stool.] (Arch.) A sort of second plinth ||or block, below the bases of Ionic and Corinthian columns, generally ||without moldings, and of smaller size horizontally than the pedestal.

Scam*mo"ni*ate (?), a. Made from scammony; as, a scammoniate aperient.

Scam"mo*ny (skm"m*n), n. [F. scammonée, L. scammonia, scammonea, Gr. skammwni`a.] 1. (Bot.) A species of bindweed or Convolvulus (C. Scammonia).

2. An inspissated sap obtained from the root of the Convolvulus Scammonia, of a blackish gray color, a nauseous smell like that of old cheese, and a somewhat acrid taste. It is used in medicine as a cathartic.

Scamp (skmp), n. [OF. escamper to run away, to make one's escape. Originally, one who runs away, a fugitive, a vagabond. See Scamper.] A rascal; a swindler; a rogue. De Quincey.