kelp

noun

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 The combination of cold sea water and afternoon sunshine should thicken kelp beds off the Point Loma peninsula. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2024 The best place to hunt white seabass is in the kelp beds, like this one. Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 16 May 2024 Then the ecologist James Estes documented how sea otters in California’s offshore kelp forests played a keystone role akin to that of starfish in Paine’s tide pools. Lesley Evans Ogden, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2024 Often farmed next to oysters and mussels, kelp can be used for a multitude of purposes, including both food and cosmetic applications. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 2 May 2024 Since the kelp is gone, however, these urchins no longer have a good food supply and are thus calorie-poor. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 20 May 2024 The furry marine mammals are vital to California’s kelp forests and can eat 25 percent of their own body weight per day. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 May 2024 The mix also contains sphagnum peat moss to improve drainage, and several organic fertilizers, such as earthworm castings, poultry manure, kelp meal, and bat guano, to help your plants grow bigger and produce more flowers/fruit. Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2024 Gobler began incorporating seaweed into his labs about a decade before kelp. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 2 May 2024

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

Middle English culp

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of kelp was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near kelp

Cite this Entry

“Kelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kelp. Accessed 28 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

kelp

noun
: any of various large brown seaweeds
also : a mass of these

Medical Definition

kelp

noun
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

More from Merriam-Webster on kelp

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