noun
kelp
kehlp
noun
1
Any of several large brown seaweeds that grow in dense underwater forests along rocky coastlines.
"Sea otters often wrap themselves in kelp to keep from drifting while they sleep."
"The divers swam through a thick forest of kelp."
2
The burned ash of seaweed, once used to make glass and extract iodine.
"Kelp ash was once a valuable export used in early industrial glassmaking."
How to Use Kelp
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA type of large brown seaweed that forms underwater forests, or historically, the ash made from burning it.
Common pairings
kelp forest
giant kelp
Word Forms
kelped past tense, kelps plural, kelps plural, kelps singular
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Sea otters often wrap themselves in _____ to keep from drifting while they sleep.
Etymology
From Middle English kelpe, of uncertain origin, possibly from Old English roots meaning a lump or swelling, referring to the air-filled bladders on some seaweeds.