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
Frozen kelp cubes for smoothies Seaweed salad kits Pureed kelp for sauces, soups, and baked goods
Beyond Atlantic Sea Farms is part of a growing business landscape.
—Heide Brandes, thehustle.co, 24 Jan. 2025
The finish is long with lingering hints of salt, persistent smoke, and a maritime character imparted by the sugar kelp infusion.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
This nutrient-rich ocean kelp has sustained the O’Higgins coastal communities for centuries.
—AFAR Media, 23 Dec. 2024
This caused huge kelp forest losses by allowing sea urchins – a favorite food of otters – to spread and consume kelp.
—Michael Heithaus, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kelp 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Heide Brandes, thehustle.co, 24 Jan. 2025
The finish is long with lingering hints of salt, persistent smoke, and a maritime character imparted by the sugar kelp infusion.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 17 Jan. 2025
This nutrient-rich ocean kelp has sustained the O’Higgins coastal communities for centuries.
—AFAR Media, 23 Dec. 2024
This caused huge kelp forest losses by allowing sea urchins – a favorite food of otters – to spread and consume kelp.
—Michael Heithaus, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kelp
Dictionary Entries Near kelp
Cite this Entry
“Kelp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kelp. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
kelp
noun
: any of various large brown seaweeds
also
: a mass of these
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share