scalloping

US: (skol′ə ping, skal′-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

scal•lop•ing  (skol′ə ping, skal′-), n. 

1. the act or occupation of collecting scallops.
2. a pattern or contour in the form of scallops, as along the edge of a garment.
3. the act of finishing an edge with scallops.

• scallop + -ing¹ 1790–1800

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

scal•lop /ˈskɑləp, ˈskæl-/   n. [countable]

1. Invertebrates a marine animal with two wavy-edged shells.
2. Often, scallops. [plural] a thick, usually round muscle of this animal used as food.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

scal•lop  (skol′əp, skal′-), n. 

1. Invertebrates any of the bivalve mollusks of the genus Argopecten (Pecten) and related genera that swim by rapidly clapping the fluted shell valves together.
2. Invertebrates the adductor muscle of certain species of such mollusks, used as food.
3. Invertebrates one of the shells of such a mollusk, usually having radial ribs and a wavy outer edge.
4. Food a scallop shell or a dish in which food, esp. seafood, is baked and served.
5. Food [Cookery.] a thin slice of meat, usually further flattened by pounding with a mallet or other implement.
6. any of a series of curved projections cut along the edge, as of a fabric.

v.t. 

7. to finish (an edge) with scallops.
8. Food [Cookery.] to escallop.

v.i. 

9. to dredge for scallops.

Also, scollop. 

• 1350–1400; Middle English scalop, aphetic variant of escal(l)op escallop; sense "thin slice of meat'' probably by association with French escalope escalope

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

scallop / ˈskɒləp ˈskæl-/ noun

1. any of various marine bivalves of the family Pectinidae, having a fluted fan-shaped shell: includes free-swimming species (genus Pecten) and species attached to a substratum (genus Chlamys)
2. the edible adductor muscle of certain of these molluscs
3. either of the shell valves of any of these molluscs
4. a scallop shell or similarly shaped dish, in which fish, esp shellfish, is cooked and served
5. one of a series of curves along an edge, esp an edge of cloth
6. the shape of a scallop shell used as the badge of a pilgrim, esp in the Middle Ages
7. a potato cake fried in batter

verb

1. (transitive) to decorate (an edge) with scallops
2. to bake (food) in a scallop shell or similar dish

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French escalope shell, of Germanic origin; see scalp

ˈscalloper noun

ˈscalloping noun