-carp

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

-carp combining_form:in_noun:countable

1. (in botany) fruit or a reproductive structure that develops into a particular part of the fruit

Etymology: from New Latin -carpium, from Greek -karpion, from karpos fruit

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

carp¹ /kɑrp/   v. 

1. to find fault;
   complain without a good reason: [no object; often: ~ + at + object]
   He's always carping at his employees.
   [ ~ + that clause]:
   forever carping that we waste paper clips.

carp² /kɑrp/   n. [countable] , pl. (esp. when thought of as a group) carp, (esp. for kinds or species) carps. 

1. Fish a large freshwater fish widely used as a food fish.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

carp¹  (kärp), v.i. 

1. to find fault or complain querulously or unreasonably;
   be niggling in criticizing;
   cavil:
   to carp at minor errors.

n. 

2. a peevish complaint.

• Old Norse karpa to brag, wrangle
• Middle English carpen to speak, prate 1200–50

carp′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. criticize, deprecate, condemn, censure.

carp²  (kärp), n., pl. (esp. collectively) carp,  (esp. referring to two or more kinds or species) carps. 

1. Fish a large freshwater cyprinid fish, Cyprinus carpio, native to Asia but widely introduced in tropical and temperate waters: an important food fish in many countries.
2. Fish any of various other fishes of the family Cyprinidae.

• Middle Dutch or Middle Low German karpe; cognate with Old High German karpfo
• Middle French
• Middle English carpe 1350–1400

-carp, 

1. a combining form occurring in compounds that denote a part of a fruit or fruiting body:
   endocarp.

• Greek -karpion, derivative of karpós fruit
• Neo-Latin -carpium

carp., 

1. carpentry.