kelp

noun

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\ ˈkelp

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 To a parasite, a fish is a habitat just as complex as a kelp forest. — Sabrina Imbler, The Atlantic, "An Epic Journey to Adulthood Begins in the Intestines of a Deep-Sea Fish," 16 Feb. 2021 The more kelp, the more other kinds of life thrive. — Katherine Ellen Foley, Quartz at Work, "What kelp can teach us about thriving amid uncertainty," 5 Nov. 2020 Enjoy the food and drink on the wooden deck outside, and finish your visit with a walk to the pier, where otters are frequently frolicking in the kelp. — Matt Kettmann, SFChronicle.com, "Hearst Winery offers a pit stop on the way to Hearst Castle," 29 Jan. 2019 Diving Grassroots conservation network Reef Check engages amateur divers to expand monitoring of coral and rocky reef ecosystems and kelp forests. — Marcello Rossi, Smithsonian Magazine, "24 Ways To Turn Outdoor Passions Into Citizen Science," 29 Dec. 2020 One of my favorite holiday gifts is a basket of gardening books and organic products like orange oil, earthworm castings, kelp, lava sand and compost tea. — Howard Garrett, Dallas News, "Garden gift guide: Consider books, organic goods or educational classes," 14 Dec. 2020 Before fur traders hunted them to the brink of extinction, sea otters used to bob and roll up and down North America’s Pacific Coast, gobbling down sea urchins and helping to maintain waving towers of kelp. — New York Times, "Archaeologists Could Help Bring Otters Back From the Dead," 3 Dec. 2020 Purple urchins are decimating California’s native kelp forests because of the recent die-off of most of their natural predators, the sunflower sea stars. — Georgia Freedman, SFChronicle.com, "Some of California’s hardest-to-find seafood is arriving in the Bay Area. Here’s how to get it," 13 Dec. 2020 Sea urchin grazing, caused by the disappearance of the Aleutian otter, was contributing to the decline of Alaskan reefs and kelp forests. — Rafil Kroll-zaidi, Harper's Magazine, "Findings," 24 Nov. 2020

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

5 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Kelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kelp. Accessed 6 Mar. 2021.

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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

noun

\ ˈkelp

Kids Definition of kelp

: a large brown seaweed

kelp

noun

\ ˈkelp

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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