carp

1 of 5

verb

ˈkärp

carped; carping; carps

Synonyms of carp next

intransitive verb

: to find fault or complain querulously

carper noun

carp

2 of 5

noun (2)

plural carp or carps

: a large variable Asian 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)

: 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

Verb

Those small men carping about their indisputable successes, by contrast, are losers — and their stories are soon lost in the sands of time. —

Oliver Bateman, Washington Examiner, 12 Jan. 2024 But those critics aren’t carping so loudly any more. —

April Roach, Fortune Europe, 21 Nov. 2023 See all Example Sentences for carp

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

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

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Carp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carp. Accessed 29 May. 2024.

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Kids Definition

carp

1 of 2 verb

ˈkärp

: 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

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carp

verb

noun (1)

noun (2)

combining form

noun combining form

Synonyms

Examples of carp in a Sentence

Word History

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near carp

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition