Carp

Carp (karp) , intransitive verb

[Old English carpen to say, speak; from Scand. (compare Icelandic karpa to boast), but influenced later by Latin carpere to pluck, calumniate.]

To talk; to speak; to prattle. [Obsolete] — Chaucer

To find fault; to cavil; to censure words or actions without reason or ill-naturedly; -- usually followed by at.

Carping and caviling at faults of manner. — Blackw. Mag

And at my actions carp or catch. — Herbert

Carp , transitive verb

To say; to tell. [Obsolete]

To find fault with; to censure. [Obsolete] — Dryden

Carp , noun

[Compare Icelandic karfi, Danish karpe, Swedish karp, Old High German charpho, German karpfen, French carpe, Late Latin carpa.]

(Zoology) A fresh-water herbivorous fish (Cyprinus carpio.). Several other species of Cyprinus, Catla, and Carassius are called carp. See Cruclan carp ∗.

The carp was originally from Asia, whence it was early introduced into Europe, where it is extensively reared in artificial ponds. Within a few years it has been introduced into America, and widely distributed by the government. Domestication has produced several varieties, as the leather carp, which is nearly or quite destitute of scales, and the mirror carp, which has only a few large scales. Intermediate varieties occur.

Collocations (3)

Carp louse (Zoology) , a small crustacean, of the genus Argulus, parasitic on carp and allied fishes. See Branchiura.

Carp mullet (Zoology) , a fish (Moxostoma carpio) of the Ohio River and Great Lakes, allied to the suckers.

Carp sucker (Zoology) , a name given to several species of fresh-water fishes of the genus Carpiodes in the United States; -- called also quillback.