plural kelps or kelp
1
a
: any of various large marine brown algae that are large seaweeds (order Laminariales) growing in cool waters
Only canopy-forming kelp are visible on the sea surface.—
Glenn Scherer
Glenn SchererKelps grow fast, drawing on all the minerals and vitamins and nutrients they can from the watershed and the sun.—Zachariah Bryan
Zachariah Bryan… thickets of kelp forming submarine forests in the bay.—Jeff Phillips
see also bladder kelp, bull kelp, giant kelp
Jeff Phillips
b
: a mass or growth of large seaweeds
The kelp near the outer islands teems with marine plants and animals in far greater abundance than it does closer to the coast …—John L. Stein
John L. Stein2
a
: a blade (see blade entry 1 sense 2e) of kelp that is usually dried and used as food (as in sushi or soups)
b
: a dietary supplement containing processed kelp
c
: the ashes of seaweed used formerly especially as a source of iodine
Examples of kelp in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Key ingredients: Alma, sea kelp, rose hip How To apply: Use this in place of hair spray.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 May 2025
As countries scrambled by tapping into fertilizer reserves and using alternatives such as sea kelp, the embargo put a serious strain on global food supplies.
— Made By History, Time, 15 Apr. 2025
Urchins devour kelp, which sequesters carbon and serves as shelter and food for a vast array of marine life.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Glamour testers liked that the formula has sea salt to lend texture, delivering those covetable beachy waves, but also boasts sea kelp, a moisturizing ingredient that helps prevent any crunch.
—Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2025
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Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 1 May 2025
As countries scrambled by tapping into fertilizer reserves and using alternatives such as sea kelp, the embargo put a serious strain on global food supplies.
— Made By History, Time, 15 Apr. 2025
Urchins devour kelp, which sequesters carbon and serves as shelter and food for a vast array of marine life.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Glamour testers liked that the formula has sea salt to lend texture, delivering those covetable beachy waves, but also boasts sea kelp, a moisturizing ingredient that helps prevent any crunch.
—Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kelp
Cite this Entry
“Kelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kelp. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kelp
noun
: any of various large brown seaweeds
also
: a mass of these
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