grass carp

noun

plural grass carp also grass carps
: a freshwater cyprinid fish (Ctenopharyngodon idella) of eastern Asia that is olive-brown with a silvery-white belly and that has been introduced into non-native waters where it is often considered an invasive (see invasive entry 1 sense 1a) species
Native to Asia, grass carp were first imported here in 1963 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to evaluate as an alternative to herbicides and mechanical weed control.Carolyn Shea

Note: Grass carp, along with the related bighead carp, black carp, and silver carp, are often called Asian carp in the U.S.

called also white amur

Examples of grass carp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web According to the study, zebra and quagga mussels have had the biggest environmental impact, followed by grass carp and the common reed, which received the same ranking. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2024 Bighead, silver, black and grass carp are four species of invasive carp threatening waterways in much of the U.S. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 21 June 2024 The next shoe in the lineup boasted grass carp leather. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 12 June 2024 His catches this past week consisted of peacock bass up to 5.5 pounds, snook, and largemouth bass to six pounds, chain pickerel, clown knife fish, grass carp and Mayan cichlids. Alan Sherman, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 See all Example Sentences for grass carp 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grass 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

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grass carp was in 1885

Dictionary Entries Near grass carp

Cite this Entry

“Grass carp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grass%20carp. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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