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• Kemp
  Kemp

  noun

  Jack F., 1935–2009, U.S. politician: congressman 1970–89.

kemp

¹ American  

[kemp] / kɛmp /

noun

1. British Dialect.

   1. a strong, brave warrior.

   2. an athlete, especially a champion.

   3. a professional fighter.

   4. an impetuous or roguish young man.

2. Scot. and North England. a contest, as between two athletes or two groups of workers, especially a reaping contest between farmworkers.

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verb (used without object)

1. Scot. and North England. to contest, fight, or strive, especially to strive in a reaping contest.

kemp ² American  

[kemp] / kɛmp /

noun

1. a short, coarse, brittle fiber, used chiefly in the manufacture of carpets.

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Kemp ³ American  

[kemp] / kɛmp /

noun

1. Jack F., 1935–2009, U.S. politician: congressman 1970–89.

2. a male given name.

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kemp British  

/ kɛmp /

noun

1. a coarse hair or strand of hair, esp one in a fleece that resists dyeing

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Other Word Forms

• kempy
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of kemp¹

before 900; Middle English kempe, Old English cempa; cognate with Old Frisian kempa, kampa, Middle Dutch, Middle Low German kemp ( e ), Old High German chemp ( i ) o; ultimately < West Germanic, perhaps through Latin campiō; see champion

Origin of kemp²

1350–1400; Middle English kempe coarse (said of hair); akin to Old English cenep mustache, bristly object, Old Norse kampr mustache, cat's whiskers

Explanation

In sheep's wool, spiky, brittle fibers that don't hold dye very well are called kemp. Wool with a lot of kemp is less valuable — and itchier! Kemp is derived from the Old Norse kampr, "beard or whisker." These short, stiff fibers are remarkably similar to the coarse hair of a beard — not ideal for spinning into soft wool for a sweater or scarf. The fanciest types of wool, like Merino, have almost no kemp. The one place these fibers are seen as desirable is in tweed, where they help give the wooly fabric its distinctive flecks of color and pattern.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

kemp Kemp

"This type of fleece, which contains kemp," Bellis explains, "that will tend to go into a carpet blend because of the colour."

From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026

There are many large goats, many heavy shearing goats, but there are very few fine fibered comparatively free from kemp goats.

From Practical Angora Goat Raising by

That point is fineness of fiber, always remembering freeness from kemp.

From Practical Angora Goat Raising by

There it is the kemp which retains the color.

From Practical Angora Goat Raising by

When the kemp had been broken up that night, and the family assembled, Mrs. Cavanagh opened the debate in an oration of great heat and bitterness, but sadly deficient in moderation and logic.

From The Emigrants Of Ahadarra The Works of William Carleton, Volume Two by William Carleton

He's also been joined on the One Show on separate occasions by Ross Kemp, Miranda Hart and James Blunt - and earlier this year, he discussed AI on stage with Hannah Fry.

From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026

Meanwhile the other celebrities also proved their worth on the show, not least "hard man" Ross Kemp, the former EastEnders actor-turned documentary-maker, whose programmes have focused on gangs and the armed forces.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Asked why the Bills chose this year to play the Canadian anthem, Kemp said the team was "leaning into one of their biggest parts of their market".

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

“We have yet to see the consumer and corporate spending that would justify commitments on that scale,” Kemp said.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

So did Miss Kemp, but I guess she had to pretend they were like everybody else.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson