Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A thick heavy covering for a floor, usually made of woven wool or synthetic fibers, especially one covering the entire surface of the floor.
  • noun The fabric used for this floor covering.
  • noun A surface or surface covering that is similar to a rug.
  • transitive verb To cover with or as if with a carpet.
  • idiom (on the carpet) In a position of being reprimanded by one in authority.
  • idiom (on the carpet) Under discussion or consideration.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A British collectors' name for any one of several species of geometrid moths whose wings bear a carpet-like design, as the flame-carpet (Coremia propugnata) and the hazel-carpet (Cidaria corylata).
  • To cover with or as with a carpet; spread with carpets: as, to carpet a room.
  • To bring upon the carpet or under consideration; make a subject of investigation; hence, to reprimand; “haul over the coals.”
  • noun A thick fabric, usually woven of wool, or of wool on a linen ground or back, and in more or less ornamental designs, used for covering floors, stairs, etc.
  • noun Especially, a covering of this material for a floor or stair, made of several widths sewed together and intended to cover all the floor-space of a room, as distinguished, from a rug, which is usually woven in one piece of a definite shape (either oblong or square), and is designed to cover a part of the floor only.
  • noun Figuratively, anything used as a carpet, or serving the purpose of a carpet.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A heavy woven or felted fabric, usually of wool, but also of cotton, hemp, straw, etc.; esp. a floor covering made in breadths to be sewed together and nailed to the floor, as distinguished from a rug or mat; originally, also, a wrought cover for tables.
  • noun A smooth soft covering resembling or suggesting a carpet.
  • noun (Zoöl.) a small beetle (Anthrenus scrophulariæ), which, in the larval state, does great damage to carpets and other woolen goods; -- also called buffalo bug.
  • noun One made a knight, for some other than military distinction or service.
  • noun (Zoöl.) the larva of an insect which feeds on carpets and other woolen goods. There are several kinds. Some are the larvæ of species of Tinea (as Tinea tapetzella); others of beetles, esp. Anthrenus.
  • noun (Zoöl.) an Australian snake. See Diamond snake, under Diamond.
  • noun an apparatus or device for sweeping carpets.
  • noun to be under consideration; to be the subject of deliberation; to be in sight; -- an expression derived from the use of carpets as table cover.
  • noun See under Brussels.
  • transitive verb To cover with, or as with, a carpet; to spread with carpets; to furnish with a carpet or carpets.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A fabric used as a complete floor covering.
  • noun figuratively Any surface or cover resembling a carpet or fulfilling its function.
  • noun vulgar A woman's pubic hair.
  • verb To lay carpet, or to have carpet installed, in an area.
  • verb transitive To substantially cover something, like a carpet; to blanket something.
  • verb UK To reprimand.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a natural object that resembles or suggests a carpet
  • verb cover completely, as if with a carpet
  • verb cover with a carpet
  • verb form a carpet-like cover (over)
  • noun floor covering consisting of a piece of thick heavy fabric (usually with nap or pile)

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French carpite, from Medieval Latin carpīta, from Old Italian carpita, from carpire, to pluck, from Latin carpere; see kerp- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Old French carpite, from Medieval Latin carpita, the past participle of carpere ("to pluck").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word carpet.

Examples

  • a Knight Banneret, dubbed in the field of battle, but, _on carpet consideration_, at a festivity, or on sone peaceable occasion, when knights receive their dignity kneeling not on the ground, as in war, but on a _carpet_.

    Notes to Shakespeare — Volume 01: Comedies Samuel Johnson 1746

  • A carpet is assembled by hand and the hair that makes up a carpet comes from the heads of a carpet maker's wives and daughters.

    All we need is Blog? Ed 2005

  • A carpet is assembled by hand and the hair that makes up a carpet comes from the heads of a carpet maker's wives and daughters.

    Archive 2005-05-01 Ed 2005

  • One thing to think about in the B-52 raids -- for some of us we go back to Vietnam, and that's where the term carpet bombing came up.

    CNN Transcript Nov 1, 2001 2001

  • CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Well, basically we reject the term carpet bombing, because it brings back images of World War II, in which you did indeed carpet bomb cities.

    CNN Transcript Nov 5, 2001 2001

  • The four of them are a little tipsy as they explain that the carpet is the same color as the ruined one.

    Hopefulness 2010

  • The four of them are a little tipsy as they explain that the carpet is the same color as the ruined one.

    Hopefulness 2010

  • One issue that gets swept under the carpet is the increase in CO2 and other pollutants caused by heavier vehicle usage, and also there may be heavier traffic, causing jams and higher fuel consumption from idling.

    Loss of privacy from highway spying not an issue for most Japanese 2009

  • The four of them are a little tipsy as they explain that the carpet is the same color as the ruined one.

    Hopefulness 2010

  • Remember that buying a carpet is a long term investment and you need to decide exactly how much money you are willing to spend on it and how long you will use one before you opt to change.

    The Versatility of the Carpet Tiles 2009

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.