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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
This boost in fandom’s age and status possibly explains its current sense of privilege, its tendency to carp and cavil rather than contribute or create. Christian Holub, EW.com, 28 Oct. 2024 Jeff Black Los Angeles :: Respectfully, the fans carping about coach DeShaun Foster after three games of a predictably difficult season are missing an essential point. Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2024
Noun
The Mekong ecosystem is threatened by human activity, including overfishing, climate change, sand mining and the construction of hydropower dams that severely impede migratory species and could impact the giant salmon carp. Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024 There’s a lot researchers still don’t know, like how many giant salmon carp actually exist or where those populations reside. Jessie Yeung, CNN, 21 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for carp 

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 23 Nov. 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

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