carpet

American  

[kahr-pit] / ˈkɑr pɪt /

noun

1. a heavy fabric, commonly of wool or nylon, for covering floors.

2. a covering of this material.

3. any relatively soft surface or covering like a carpet.

   They walked on the carpet of grass.

4. any of a number of airborne electronic devices for jamming radar.

5. a system of such devices.

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verb (used with object)

1. to cover or furnish with or as with a carpet.

2. Chiefly British. to reprimand.

idioms

1. on the carpet,

   1. before an authority or superior for an accounting of one's actions or a reprimand.

      He was called on the carpet again for his carelessness.

   2. Chiefly British. under consideration or discussion.

carpet British  

/ ˈkɑːpɪt /

noun

1. 1. a heavy fabric for covering floors

   2. ( as modifier )

      a carpet sale

2. a covering like a carpet

   a carpet of leaves

3. informal

   1. before authority to be reproved for misconduct or error

   2. under consideration

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verb

1. to cover with or as if with a carpet

2. informal to reprimand

carpet More Idioms  

1. see call on the carpet; red carpet. Also see under rug.

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Other Word Forms

• carpetless
  adjective
• carpetlike
  adjective
• recarpet
  verb (used with object)
• uncarpeted
  adjective
• well-carpeted
  adjective

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

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

The first book the pair worked on together was The Carpet People, which released in 1971.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2025

ABC will air its “Countdown to Oscars: On the Red Carpet Live!” beginning at 1 p.m.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 10, 2024

Mr. Richards, a 40-year-old statistician at Red Carpet Rosters, a fantasy league site for film awards, has been betting on the Oscars since 2016.

From New York Times • Mar. 9, 2024

I watched him closely, but he’d barely even skimmed the thing when the door behind him swung open and a tough, skinny old bag in a Red Carpet uniform stepped in beside him.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

Related Words

• carpeting
• rug
• tapestry