carp

Definitions  ·  Examples  ·  Pronunciations  ·  Etymologies  ·  Related  ·  Statistics  ·  Comments (1)  · 

Definitions (28)

Toggle American Heritage Dictionary definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. intransitive verb To find fault in a disagreeable way; complain fretfully. See Synonyms at quibble.
  2. noun A fretful complaint.
  3. noun An edible freshwater fish (Cyprinus carpio) of Europe and Asia that is frequently bred in ponds and lakes.
  4. noun Any of various fishes of the family Cyprinidae.

Toggle Century Dictionary definitions Century Dictionary (18)

  1. To speak; tell. When he told hade his tale tomly [leisurely] to the ende, He enclinet the kyng, and carpit no more. Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. S.), l. 2448. Now we leven Joseph, and of the kyng carpen. Joseph of Arimathie, l. 175. Hwen thu art on eise, carpe toward Ihesu and seie thise wordes. Old Eng. Homilies, 1st ser. (ed. Morris), p. 287. I will now carp of kings. Percy MS.
  2. To talk; babble; chatter. In felaweschipe wel cowde sche lawghe and carpe. Chaucer, Gen. Prol. to C. T., l. 474. Kepe thi knyfe both clene & scherpe, And be not besy forto kerpe. Babees Book (E. E. T. S.), p. 23.
  3. To censure, cavil, or find fault, particularly without reason or petulantly: used absolutely or followed by at. Other of your insolent retinue Do hourly carp and quarrel. Shak., Lear, i. 4. No, not a tooth or nail to scratch And at my actions carp and catch. G. Herbert.
  4. To utter; speak. With corage kene he carpes thes wordes. Morte Arthure (E. E. T. S.), l. 1725. Then our king full of courage carped these words. Percy MS.
  5. To blame; find fault with; chide. Suspecting that Euphues would be carped of some curious Reader. Lyly, Euphues and his England, p. 214. My honest homely words were carp'd and censured. Dryden.
  6. Speech; talk; conversation. When non wolde kepe hym with carp he coʒed ful hyʒe, Ande rimed hym full richley, & ryʒt hym to speke. Sir Gawayne and the Green Knight (E. E. T. S.), l. 307.
  7. A teleostean fish of the family Cyprinidæ, Cyprinus carpio. The normal form has a long compressed body, large scales (35 to 39 being along the lateral line), a long dorsal with a strong serrate spine and 17 to 22 rays, a short anal with 3 simple and 5 branched rays, and 4 barbels upon the upper jaw. It is said to have been introduced into England in the fourteenth century. It is an excellent fish for ponds, as it breeds rapidly, grows to a large size, sometimes attaining the length of 4 feet, and lives for many years. In old age its scales become gray and white. There are numerous varieties, the most notable being the normal form or scale-carp just described, the mirror-carp, distinguished by very large scales below the dorsal, above the anal, and in a median posterior row, and the leather-carp, characterized by its almost or quite naked skin. The last two have long been the subjects of special culture, and have been widely distributed in the United States.
  8. A fish related to the common carp. The best-known is the gold carp or goldfish, Carassius auratus. See cut under goldfish.
  9. A name on the northeast coast of Ireland for the common sea-bream, Pagellus centrodontus.
  10. An English name of the opah.
  11. In the United States, a carp-sucker; a catostomoid fish of the subfamily Ictiobinæ and genus Carpiodes.
  12. Norwegian carp a name of the Sebastes marinus.
  13. Prussian carp an English book-name of the Carassius vulgaris or gibelio.
  14. A name of various fishes of the genus Chilodactylus in Australia, New Zealand, and Tasmania. These fishes are not related to the European carp, which is a cyprinoid fish.
  15. Lake-carp a sucker, Carpiodes thompsoni, found in the Great Lakes.
  16. Looking-glass carp a variety of the true carp having a few large scales scattered irregularly over the body.
  17. Murray carp a common name of Murrayia cyprinoides, a percoid fish found in Australia.
  18. To prepare teazels for the napping-machine for dressing woolen cloth.

Toggle GNU Webster's 1913 definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (3)

  1. To talk; to speak; to prattle.
  2. To say; to tell.
  3. A fresh-water herbivorous fish (Cyprinus carpio.). Several other species of Cyprinus, Catla, and Carassius are called carp. See Cruclan carp.

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (3)

  1. any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae
  2. the lean flesh of a fish that is often farmed; can be baked or braised
  3. raise trivial objections

Recent Lookups

ratchet · cabal · rapturously · pilot-boat · Apologies

Recent Favorites

emulous · abdicated · pique · mellifluous · zeitgeist

Recent Pronunciations

milosrdenstvi · lichen-covered · futon · sagacity · monoragngocious