Definition of carp
intransitive verb
: to find fault or complain querulously
carper
nounExplore M-W
carp was our Word of the Day on 04/06/2012. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Examples of carp in a Sentence
He's always carping about his boss.
He's tired of always being carped at by his critics.
Did You Know?
You might guess that the verb carp word is a descendant of the noun referring to a type of fish. That's a reasonable speculation, but the verb actually preceded the fish's name into the English language by approximately a century. Its origins are Scandinavian: it may be related to the Icelandic verb karpa, meaning "to dispute" or "to wrangle," and beyond that perhaps to Old Norse karp, meaning "boasting" or "arrogance." In the early 20th century, English speakers also coined a second noun carp (meaning "complaint") from this verb.
Origin and Etymology of carp
Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Icelandic karpa to dispute
First Known Use: 14th century
1904
First Known Use of carp
1904
carp
Definition of carp
carp
orcarps
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
Origin and Etymology of carp
Middle English carpe, from Medieval French, from Late Latin carpa, probably of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German karpfo carp
First Known Use: 15th century
carp-
carpo-
Definition of carp-
: fruit carpogonium
Origin and Etymology of carp-
French & New Latin, from Greek karp-, karpo-, from karpos — more at harvest
-carp
Definition of -carp
: part of a fruit mesocarp : fruit schizocarp
Origin and Etymology of -carp
New Latin -carpium, from Greek -karpion, from karpos
CARP Defined for English Language Learners
CARP Defined for Kids
Definition of carp for Students
carped
;carping
: to complain in an annoying way
Definition of carp for Students
: a freshwater fish that lives a long time and is often used for food
Learn More about carp
-
See words that rhyme with carp Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for carp Spanish Central: Translation of carp Nglish: Translation of carp for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about carp
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up carp? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!