carpet
Americannoun
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a heavy fabric, commonly of wool or nylon, for covering floors.
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a covering of this material.
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any relatively soft surface or covering like a carpet.
They walked on the carpet of grass.
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any of a number of airborne electronic devices for jamming radar.
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a system of such devices.
verb (used with object)
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to cover or furnish with or as with a carpet.
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Chiefly British. to reprimand.
idioms
noun
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a heavy fabric for covering floors
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( as modifier )
a carpet sale
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a covering like a carpet
a carpet of leaves
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informal
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before authority to be reproved for misconduct or error
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under consideration
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verb
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to cover with or as if with a carpet
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informal to reprimand
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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carpetsimple
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carpetssimple
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have carpetedperfect
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has carpetedperfect
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am carpetingprogressive
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are carpetingprogressive
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is carpetingprogressive
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have been carpetingperfect progressive
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has been carpetingperfect progressive
Past
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carpetedsimple
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had carpetedperfect
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was carpetingprogressive
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were carpetingprogressive
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had been carpetingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of carpet
1300–50; Middle English carpete cloth covering for a table, floor, bed, etc. < Middle French carpite or Medieval Latin carpīta < Italian carpita woolen bedspread < Vulgar Latin *carpīta, past participle of carpīre, for Latin carpere to pluck, card (wool)
Explanation
A carpet is a thick, woven floor covering. Most carpets cover the whole floor in a room, as opposed to a rug, which only covers a small section. Carpets are made from polyester fibers, or wool, or nylon — most often, these soft materials are loops or strings that form the carpet's "pile," and are attached to a solid backing. A carpet can be very densely woven and flat, or it can be tufted and thick. To carpet means to cover something as if with a carpet: "Then the snow carpets the ground, and winter is here."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After visiting Nisa, the 20 or so tourists with her group returned to Ashgabat for Carpet Day -- a national holiday honouring Turkmen rug artisans -- before visiting yurts and tasting local produce.
From Barron's • Jun. 23, 2026
Erich's first book, “Red Carpet: Hollywood, China, and the Global Battle for Cultural Supremacy,” detailed the growing influence of China on the American entertainment industry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026
Carpet weavers say they earn about $27 for each square metre, which usually takes about a month to produce.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2025
Over on ABC, Robin Roberts and Will Reeve will be hosting “On the Red Carpet: Live at the Emmys” beginning at 4 p.m.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 13, 2024
A freakish, freestanding, 115-foot-high stalagmite-type rock that, according to the literature, sat in an otherwise completely flat farmer’s field not far from the Red Carpet.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
