kelp

noun

ˈkelp 

plural kelps or kelp

1

a

: 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

b

: 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

2

a

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

b

: a dietary supplement containing processed kelp

c

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

Examples of kelp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sustainable seaweeds like kombu, wakame, and sugar kelp, which are cultivated in New England and Alaska, can also offer similar nutrients. —Boutayna Chokrane, WIRED, 6 Dec. 2024

In July, Russia suspended kelp harvesting near Kaigara Island in the Habomai islet group of the Kurils, citing a malfunctioning lighthouse. —Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024

According to the beer drinker in our family, that dark kelp beer had a deep chocolate-y character and just the proper amount of funk. —Leslie Kelly, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024

Instead, target these abundant and hungry pelagic fish by trolling in areas with clear water, and focus on floating structure like sargassum and kelp paddies, oil rigs, and even floating ocean debris. —Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English culp

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing kelp

• bladder kelp
• bull kelp
• giant bladder kelp
• giant kelp
• kelp bass

Kids Definition

kelp

noun

ˈkelp 

: any of various large brown seaweeds

also : a mass of these

Medical Definition

kelp

noun

ˈkelp 

1

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

2

a

: a dietary supplement containing processed kelp

b

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