Jump To:

• kemp
  kemp
• 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.

---

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.

---

Kemp ³ American  

[kemp] / kɛmp /

noun

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

2. a male given name.

---

kemp British  

/ kɛmp /

noun

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

---

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

They were not uniform, the breeches were bad, bellies deficiently covered, and they carried considerable kemp.

From Practical Angora Goat Raising by

Size and a little "yolk," together with the covering, fineness, freeness from kemp, ringlets and evenness were especially desired.

From Practical Angora Goat Raising by

They also take into consideration freeness from kemp and color.

From Practical Angora Goat Raising by

This combing is rendered necessary by the fact that all of the mohair contains an admixture of kemp, and kemp cannot be spun with the finer grades of mohair.

From Practical Angora Goat Raising by

But much of that theatricality was learned in Edinburgh a decade earlier from choreographer Lindsay Kemp.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

“A cheaper stock does not necessarily offer better value,” Dan Kemp, founder of investment consultancy Portfolio Thinking, told MarketWatch.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Celebrities who departed earlier in the series included ex-EastEnders actor Ross Kemp, model Jerry Hall, sitcom star Miranda Hart, comedian Joe Lycett, presenter Hannah Fry and former BBC journalist Amol Rajan.

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

While the selloff could look like a bargain to some investors, Kemp said it’s important to distinguish between that and a discount.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

Kemp on African American defendants throughout the criminal justice system, including those ensnared by the War on Drugs, need only ask Edward Clary.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---