kelp

noun

ˈkelp

plural kelps or kelp

: any of various large marine brown algae that are large seaweeds (order Laminariales) growing in cool waters

Only canopy-forming kelp are visible on the sea surface.—

Glenn Scherer

Kelps grow fast, drawing on all the minerals and vitamins and nutrients they can from the watershed and the sun.—

Zachariah Bryan

… thickets of kelp forming submarine forests in the bay.—

Jeff Phillips

see also bladder kelp, bull kelp, giant kelp

: a mass or growth of large seaweeds

The kelp near the outer islands teems with marine plants and animals in far greater abundance than it does closer to the coast …—

John L. Stein

: a blade (see blade entry 1 sense 2e) of kelp that is usually dried and used as food (as in sushi or soups)

: a dietary supplement containing processed kelp

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

Examples of kelp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The sanctuary would also protect the ecological qualities of the area including marine mammals, birds, fish, sea turtles, algae and other organisms, as well as rocky reefs, kelp forests and beaches. —

Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2023 Cardiff’s earliest industry was a kelp works, built in 1912 to process seaweed for use as a food additive and also as potash, a key ingredient of gunpowder. —

San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Oct. 2023 Some have survived by switching to offering kelp forest dives—driven in part by the popularity of the documentary My Octopus Teacher. —

David Shiffman, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Sep. 2023 In Maine, lobsters are heading north and some lobstermen are moving into kelp farming. —

Eric Niiler, WSJ, 28 Aug. 2023 During the interview, Dr. Suzuki’s 5-year-old granddaughter — one of 10 grandchildren — burst into the cottage, back from the tidal pool, breathlessly recounting a kelp crab’s escape from her grasp. —

Norimitsu Onishi, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2023 Yuzu-and-koji-marinated king salmon from the nearby Neah Bay arrives like a little gift, wrapped in sugar kelp and served with sweet kale raab. —

Elazar Sontag, Bon Appétit, 13 Sep. 2023 Worms, snails, clams, oysters, barnacles, mussels, sea stars, algae, and kelp all thrive here, providing food, filtering water, and producing oxygen. —

Kylie Mohr, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2023 Are there enemies in the way of kelp reforestation? —

Matt Thompson, Spin, 22 Aug. 2023 See More

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