carp

1 of 5

verb

carped; carping; carps

intransitive verb

: to find fault or complain querulously
carper noun

carp

2 of 5

noun (1)

carp

3 of 5

noun (2)

plural carp or carps
1
: a large variable Asian soft-finned freshwater cyprinid fish (Cyprinus carpio) of sluggish waters that is often raised for food and has been widely introduced into U.S. waters
also : any of various related cyprinid fishes (such as the grass carp)
2
: a fish (such as the European sea bream) resembling a carp

carp-

4 of 5

combining form

variants or carpo-
: fruit
carpogonium

-carp

5 of 5

noun combining form

: part of a fruit
mesocarp
: fruit
schizocarp

Examples of carp in a Sentence

Verb He's always carping about his boss. He's tired of always being carped at by his critics.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Those small men carping about their indisputable successes, by contrast, are losers — and their stories are soon lost in the sands of time. Oliver Bateman, Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2024 But those critics aren’t carping so loudly any more. April Roach, Fortune Europe, 21 Nov. 2023 But bitten by the carp bug 13 years ago, Moore decided to roll back his client list, grow his hair long, and chase carp the world over. Kirk Deeter, Field & Stream, 5 Dec. 2020 Critics carp that the United States has overinvested in India—that the favors accorded to New Delhi have not been worth the return. Robert D. Blackwill, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2019 The state’s Republicans have carped about the cost of these policies. Grace Segers, The New Republic, 3 July 2023 But with the Biden administration now taking a more active interest in regulating the industry, crypto fans are carping about a conspiracy bent on taking the industry down. Jacob Silverman, The New Republic, 12 May 2023 While some might carp that the room décor is a little dated, the value was clear to hundreds of guests. Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2022 Purists will understandably carp about this, but Warners now owns those titles and thus claims them as their own. Jon Burlingame, Variety, 7 Apr. 2023
Noun
Still, other species such as Asian carp and zebra mussels are doing big damage, especially in our waterways. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024 Western toads and tree frogs thrive in the spring water that seeps from the base of an arched alcove fortified with concrete and then into a murky pond where carp cruise beneath a battered life-size rubber duck floating upside down. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 The process begins with herding fish that live in the canals, some bass, trout and common carp, but mostly white amur, a particular breed of carp that helps keep the canals clean. Trilce Estrada Olvera, The Arizona Republic, 15 Feb. 2024 More:Hundreds of invasive carp were caught in the Mississippi River near Trempealeau In Minnesota, for example, Clark, with Friends of the Mississippi River, is worried about invasive carp swimming upriver into his state's waters. Journal Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2024 How to Watch the Grammys Red Carpet The Grammys’ red carp special will stream on live.GRAMMY.com and YouTube. Pitchfork, 4 Feb. 2024 The water boils with flashes of fin and tail — and an occasional carp makes a lucky leap to temporary freedom. Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2024 Oftentimes, carp are hooked accidentally by anglers fishing for other species. Jordan Rodriguez, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024 Scientists have so far pulled 667 bass from the slough this year, along with thousands of carp and sunfish, two other warm-water nonnatives. WIRED, 4 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'carp.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Icelandic karpa to dispute

Noun (2)

Middle English carpe, from Middle French, from Late Latin carpa, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German karpfo carp

Combining form

French & New Latin, from Greek karp-, karpo-, from karpos — more at harvest

Noun combining form

New Latin -carpium, from Greek -karpion, from karpos

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carp was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near carp

Cite this Entry

“Carp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carp. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

carp

1 of 2 verb
: to find fault : complain
carper noun

carp

2 of 2 noun
plural carp or carps
: a large Asian freshwater fish often raised for food and widely introduced into U.S. waters
also : any of various related or similar fishes

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