scoop

v. t. to report a story first, before (a rival); to get a scoop, or a beat, on (a rival); -- used commonly in the passive; as, we were scooped. Also used in certain situations in scientific research, when one scientist or team of scientists reports their results before another who is working on the same problem. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

n. [ OE. scope, of Scand. origin; cf. Sw. skopa, akin to D. schop a shovel, G. schüppe, and also to E. shove. See Shovel. ] 1. A large ladle; a vessel with a long handle, used for dipping liquids; a utensil for bailing boats. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A deep shovel, or any similar implement for digging out and dipping or shoveling up anything; as, a flour scoop; the scoop of a dredging machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Surg.) A spoon-shaped instrument, used in extracting certain substances or foreign bodies. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A place hollowed out; a basinlike cavity; a hollow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some had lain in the scoop of the rock. J. R. Drake. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A sweep; a stroke; a swoop. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The act of scooping, or taking with a scoop or ladle; a motion with a scoop, as in dipping or shoveling. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. a quantity sufficient to fill a scoop; -- used especially for ice cream, dispensed with an ice cream scoop; as, an ice cream cone with two scoops. [ PJC ]

8. an act of reporting (news, research results) before a rival; also called a beat. [ Newspaper or laboratory cant ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

9. news or information; as, what's the scoop on John's divorce?. [ informal ] [ PJC ]

Scoop net, a kind of hand net, used in fishing; also, a net for sweeping the bottom of a river. --
Scoop wheel, a wheel for raising water, having scoops or buckets attached to its circumference; a tympanum. [ 1913 Webster ]