carpet
Americannoun
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carpets
plural
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a heavy fabric, commonly of wool or nylon, for covering floors.
-
a covering of this material.
-
any relatively soft surface or covering like a carpet.
They walked on the carpet of grass.
-
any of a number of airborne electronic devices for jamming radar.
-
a system of such devices.
verb (used with object)
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carpets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
carpeted,
past participle, past
-
carpeting
present participle
-
to cover or furnish with or as with a carpet.
-
Chiefly British. to reprimand.
idioms
noun
-
-
a heavy fabric for covering floors
-
( as modifier )
a carpet sale
-
-
a covering like a carpet
a carpet of leaves
-
informal
-
before authority to be reproved for misconduct or error
-
under consideration
-
verb
-
to cover with or as if with a carpet
-
informal to reprimand
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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recarpetverb (used with object)
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carpetlessadjective
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carpetlikeadjective
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uncarpetedadjective
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well-carpetedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
carpetsimple
-
carpetssimple
-
have carpetedperfect
-
has carpetedperfect
-
am carpetingprogressive
-
are carpetingprogressive
-
is carpetingprogressive
-
have been carpetingperfect progressive
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has been carpetingperfect progressive
Past
-
carpetedsimple
-
had carpetedperfect
-
was carpetingprogressive
-
were carpetingprogressive
-
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.
See Examples For:
But allow me to be the boring, sober voice of reason: There’s a vast ocean of cruises between living frugally and rolling out the proverbial red carpet every time you step outside your front door.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026
Likewise, elusive it-girl Alexa Demie often uses rare red carpet appearances to present the shadowy, soft glamour of gothic cinema.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
The assembled Defense Department officials gave the Venezuelan billionaire the red carpet treatment, lining up to shake his hand, according to people familiar with the meeting.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2026
Soon, Matt is walking the red carpet alongside the actor who replaced him in the movie he was shooting before the attack.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
A few faded petals clung now to the new-leafed branches, but most of the Bride’s flowers had fallen, forming a wilted carpet beneath us.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Her work appears mostly on red carpets, onstage and in museum collections.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
Her influence is why she and her husband are invited to red carpets and field sponsorship offers.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
She was named to Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people in sports in 2026 and has been a ubiquitous presence on red carpets, major sporting events and galas.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Until the 1980s, carpets were Kashmir's top export, but volumes have since steadily declined, with wars in Ukraine and the Middle East the latest blows to the trade.
From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026
The canvas walls of the front of the pavilion were rolled up, and inside dozens of workers were laying down carpets over the grassy field.
From "Ash" by Malinda Lo
The Daily Star leads on TV personality and presenter Ryan Clark who said he "carpeted for missing work because of an air traffic strike" at the BBC.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
We meet Mona in media res, nervously tapping her shoes on the carpeted lobby floor and fretting over her audition.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
Swaths of the region are carpeted in grasses that each year grow and then die, creating what Acuña described as a patchwork of layers.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
Remember when America Online CDs carpeted America and “You’ve got mail” felt like the future?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 22, 2025
She grabbed the basin of a hand lantern off the desk and turned it upside down, pouring oil all over the carpeted floor.
From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older
AFP video footage showed that the fire had burned down the mosque's interior carpeting and blackened the walls.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
The seats themselves are crappy and hard; the upholstery might as well be outdoor carpeting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
Movie theaters with patterned carpeting have been deemed liminal, as have fast-food restaurants, parking garages and malls.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
Working together, the couple removed the shag carpeting and wood paneling from the first floor and the stairway, installing drywall in their place.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
Julie learned about television, sports cars, blue jeans, bikinis, hero sandwiches, and wall-to-wall carpeting in the high school Amy would soon be attending.
From "Julie of the Wolves" by Jean Craighead George
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