Meanings
plural scalpers
- One who scalps, or removes the scalp of another.
Denouncing representations of hostile Indians as vicious scalpers of innocent settlers […]
2013, M. Elise Marubbio, Eric L. Buffalohead, Native Americans on Film: Conversations, Teaching, and Theory - CanadaUSOne 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.
We could see three different scalpers moving through the crowd outside the arena, each muttering the characteristic refrain: “Need any tickets?”
1 more example
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.
2023 December 6, Sam Lansky, “Person of Year 2023 : Taylor Swift”, in Time, archived from the original on 06 Dec 2023Synonyms: ticket tout
- broadlyOne who scalps any other item with limited availability.
- gamblingA gambler who scalps.
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.
1961, John Scarne, Complete Guide to Gambling, page 102 - businessA 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).
- A surgical instrument for scraping carious bones.
Synonyms: scalping-iron
Synonyms & antonyms
nounOne 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.
nounA surgical instrument for scraping carious bones.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian спекулант, търгаш
- спекулант (spekulant)one who resells items at inflated prices
- търгаш (tărgaš)one who resells items at inflated prices
- спекулант (spekulant)one who sells tickets unofficially
Chinese Mandarin 黄牛, 票販子 /票贩子
- 黄牛 (huángniú)one who sells tickets unofficially
- 票販子 /票贩子 (piàofànzi)one who sells tickets unofficially
Czech překupník
- překupníkone who sells tickets unofficially
Dutch zwarthandelaar, woekeraar
- zwarthandelaarone who sells tickets unofficially
- woekeraarone who sells tickets unofficially
Finnish trokari, jobbari
- trokarione who resells items at inflated prices
- jobbarione who sells tickets unofficially
- lipputrokarione who sells tickets unofficially
- trokarione who sells tickets unofficially
French vendeur à la sauvette
- vendeur à la sauvetteone who sells tickets unofficially
German Kartenschwarzhändler
- Kartenschwarzhändlerone who sells tickets unofficially
Hungarian jegyüzér
- jegyüzérone who sells tickets unofficially
Indonesian calo
- caloone who sells tickets unofficially
Italian bagarino
- bagarinoone who sells tickets unofficially
Japanese ダフ屋
- ダフ屋 (dafu-ya)one who sells tickets unofficially
Korean 암표상
- 암표상 (ampyosang)one who sells tickets unofficially
Latin locārius
- locāriusone who sells tickets unofficially
Malay ulat tiket
- ulat tiketone who sells tickets unofficially
Polish konik
- konikone who sells tickets unofficially
Portuguese cambista
- cambistaone who sells tickets unofficially
Romanian bișnițar, bișnițară
- bișnițarone who sells tickets unofficially
- bișnițarăone who sells tickets unofficially
Russian спекуля́нт театра́льными биле́тами, спекуля́нт
- спекуля́нт театра́льными биле́тами (spekuljánt teatrálʹnymi bilétami)one who sells tickets unofficially
- спекуля́нт (spekuljánt)one who sells tickets unofficially
Spanish revendón, revendedor
- revendónone who resells items at inflated prices
- revendedorone who sells tickets unofficially
- revendedoraone who sells tickets unofficially
Swedish skalperare
- skalperareone who sells tickets unofficially
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
scalper. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scalper
“scalper.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scalper. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “scalper,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/scalper.
Source: scalper on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.