carpet

noun

car·​pet ˈkär-pət 

1

: a heavy often tufted fabric used as a floor covering

also : a floor covering made of this fabric

2

: a surface or layer resembling or suggesting a carpet

carpet verb

see also:

on the carpet

Examples of carpet in a Sentence

We bought a new carpet for the bedroom.

Which brand of carpet did you choose?

The ground was covered by a carpet of leaves.

Recent Examples on the Web

Under the supervision of a local artisan, guests sit cross-legged on a carpet beneath a large tree and weave their own small version of the bed. — Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Shag carpet covered original terra-cotta floors, high-gloss paint coated nearly every wooden surface and overgrown weeds crowded the yard. — R. Daniel Foster, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026

Charlize Theron, who takes on the role of the temptress nymph Calypso, has leaned toward the seductive, wearing Tom Ford short-shorts on one carpet and a black Givenchy dress with a thigh-high slit on another. — Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 20 July 2026

Cleaning carpets with a high-efficiency particle air (HEPA) filter vacuum can further reduce dust. — Dr. Lauren Zajac, Boston Herald, 19 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French carpite, from Old Italian carpita, from carpire to pluck, modification of Latin carpere to pluck — more at harvest

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing carpet

• Brussels carpet
• call (someone) on the carpet
• carpet beetle
• carpet-bomb
• carpet slipper
• carpet sweeper
• magic carpet
• on the carpet
• red-carpet
• roll out the red carpet
• sweep (something) under the carpet
• tapestry carpet

Kids Definition

carpet

noun

car·​pet ˈkär-pət 

1

: a heavy fabric used especially as a floor covering

2

: a covering like a carpet

carpet verb