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)

carpets, present (3rd person singular) carpeted, past participle, past carpeting present participle

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

Derived Forms

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

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have carpeted
  perfect
• has carpeted
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are carpeting
  progressive
• have been carpeting
  perfect progressive
• is carpeting
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am carpeting
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been carpeting
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• carpeting
  participle
• carpets
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had carpeted
  perfect
• had been carpeting
  perfect progressive
• was carpeting
  progressive singular
• carpeted
  participle
• were carpeting
  progressive plural
• carpeted
  simple

Future

• will carpet
  simple
• will have carpeted
  perfect
• will be carpeting
  progressive
• will have been carpeting
  perfect progressive

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

Crowds of men in matching tracksuits clapped in unison and waved national flags as sand-coloured stallion Hankerven, adorned with jewellery and a traditional carpet, clinched the top prize.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

Non-native grasses that have taken hold “create a carpet of highly flammable material for much of the year,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

SpaceX is rolling out the red carpet for individual investors who want in on its initial public offering, and there will likely be no shortage of demand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

"It is a pretty-looking thing," he concedes, plucking fragments off a clump torn from a carpet of green moss.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

Flames had made their way into the lobby, catching on the thick carpet, on the restored wallpapers, the posters.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Related Words

• carpeting
• rug
• tapestry