kelp

\ ˈkelp

How to pronounce kelp (audio)

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Definition of kelp

1a : any of various large brown seaweeds (order Laminariales)

b : a mass of large seaweeds

2 : the ashes of seaweed used especially as a source of iodine

Examples of kelp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Because there was so little kelp to eat, red abalone starved from Baja California to Alaska. — Peter Fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "Atmospheric rivers that hit California getting a boost from melting Arctic ice," 27 Jan. 2020 Since 2014, 95% of the kelp forests from San Francisco to Oregon have disappeared. — CBS News, "New tactic in combating exploding sea urchin population," 18 Jan. 2020 Looking at decades of data and pictures of the ocean floor, researchers observed that warmer water temperatures caused by climate change are shortening the growing season of kelp, which thrives in colder conditions. — BostonGlobe.com, "The new research mapped a much larger area of the seafloor and showed that fish are looking for a habitat that provides continuous coverage over a large area, as opposed to the patchy coverage provided by the turf seaweed that is replacing other types of seaweed, Dijkstra said.," 20 Nov. 2019 There are all manner of organic houseplant fertilizers (microbe food, right?) ranging from kelp, bone meal, rock phosphate, humic and fulvic acids and fish emulsions, as well as fish hydrolysates. — Jeff Lowenfels, Anchorage Daily News, "It’s time for indoor plants. That means it’s time for indoor plant lights.," 24 Oct. 2019 The purple urchins have devoured all the kelp, killing off important fisheries for red abalone and red sea urchins in California and Oregon. — USA TODAY, "Guitar hotel, creepy dolls, slime museum: News from around our 50 states," 25 Oct. 2019 Offshore, the warming ocean has depleted once-expansive kelp forests around the Channel Islands and has thrown oyster, crab and urchin harvests into disarray. — Scott Wilson, Washington Post, "Fires, floods and free parking: California’s unending fight against climate change," 5 Dec. 2019 Offshore, the warming ocean has depleted once-expansive kelp forests around the Channel Islands and has thrown oyster, crab and urchin harvests into disarray. — Anchorage Daily News, "Fires, floods and free parking: California’s unending fight against climate change," 8 Dec. 2019 But now imagine life, not as a flip flop wearing, blue-lipped, swimming tourist but as one of the many species of kelp or seaweed that inhabit the Maine coast. — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "A look inside how some plants are able to tolerate the cold Kentucky winters," 15 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kelp.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

11 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Kelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kelp. Accessed 19 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for kelp

kelp

noun

English Language Learners Definition of kelp

: a type of brown seaweed

See the full definition for kelp in the English Language Learners Dictionary

kelp

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Kids Definition of kelp

: a large brown seaweed

kelp

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Medical Definition of kelp

1 : any of various large brown seaweeds (orders Laminariales and Fucales) and especially laminarias of which some are used for food especially in China and Japan and as sources of alginates, iodine, and medicinal substances

2 : the ashes of seaweed used especially as a source of iodine

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