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 Eurasian 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. Noun (1) the usual carp about that restaurant is that the service is slow
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
If Crean Lutheran wins this league’s championship there will be carping about why a private school with growing athletic ambitions still is in a league with public schools. Steve Fryer, Orange County Register, 2 Aug. 2024 Biden aides blame the news media for carping on his gaffes since the debate. Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 6 July 2024
Noun
Lake Michigan Tank: In this 80,000-gallon freshwater tank, visitors will see animals native to the Great Lakes, such as shovelnose sturgeon, northern pike, gar and carp. Amy Schwabe, Journal Sentinel, 17 June 2024 Illinois governor finally signs key agreement to protect Great Lakes from invasive carp More:Scientists just discovered cold, dark sinkholes in Lake Michigan. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for carp 

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

carp-

carp

-carp

Cite this Entry

“Carp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carp. Accessed 10 Oct. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on carp

Last Updated: - Definition revised
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