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
Glenn SchererKelps grow fast, drawing on all the minerals and vitamins and nutrients they can from the watershed and the sun.—Zachariah Bryan
Zachariah Bryan… thickets of kelp forming submarine forests in the bay.—Jeff Phillips
see also bladder kelp, bull kelp, giant kelp
Jeff Phillips
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
John L. Stein2
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 Pacific Ocean subtly makes its way into the decor of the 167 guest rooms and suites, where rugs and table lamps in muted greens and turquoise evoke kelp forests, and fluffy robes feature green seashell prints.
—Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 3 Apr. 2025
The award-winning My Octopus Teacher follows Craig Foster, a man who forms an unlikely friendship with an octopus in a South African kelp forest.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Stanford researchers and faculty showed projects using earthworms, kelp forests, or fungus communities to remove greenhouse gases during an event Tuesday on the campus.
—Katie Fehrenbacher, Axios, 19 Mar. 2025
Instead, buoys bob on the surface while, seven feet below, long lines of kelp stretch through the frigid Atlantic waters.
—Heide Brandes, thehustle.co, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kelp
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Jennifer Flowers, AFAR Media, 3 Apr. 2025
The award-winning My Octopus Teacher follows Craig Foster, a man who forms an unlikely friendship with an octopus in a South African kelp forest.
—Colson Thayer, People.com, 24 Mar. 2025
Stanford researchers and faculty showed projects using earthworms, kelp forests, or fungus communities to remove greenhouse gases during an event Tuesday on the campus.
—Katie Fehrenbacher, Axios, 19 Mar. 2025
Instead, buoys bob on the surface while, seven feet below, long lines of kelp stretch through the frigid Atlantic waters.
—Heide Brandes, thehustle.co, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kelp
Cite this Entry
“Kelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kelp. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kelp
noun
: any of various large brown seaweeds
also
: a mass of these
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