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

At length they were again even, and just at that moment in came her friend the little red woman, and asked aloud, 'Is there any one in this kemp that knows my name?'

From Irish Fairy Tales by W. B.

At the period spoken of neither you nor they had come in from the kemp.

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

I remember this as being an unsatisfactory game because one so constantly killed one’s own kemp instead of the enemy.

From Springtime and Other Essays by Darwin, Francis, Sir

It is run over a carding wheel, or a large metal cylinder covered with small brads, which mix all the mohair and kemp.

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 Carleton, William