- a heavy fabric for covering floors
- a covering like a carpet: a carpet of leaves
- on the carpet ⇒ informal
- before authority to be reproved for misconduct or error
- under consideration
- to cover with or as if with a carpet
- informal to reprimand
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
car•pet /ˈkɑrpɪt/USA pronunciation
n.
v. [~ + object]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- [countable]
- Textilesa heavy, thick, woven fabric for covering floors.
- any surface or covering resembling a carpet;
layer:a carpet of wildflowers in the meadow.
v. [~ + object]
- to cover with or as if with a carpet:They decided to carpet the hallway.
- Idioms on the carpet, summoned for a scolding;
in trouble:His boss called him on the carpet after his last mistake.
car•pet
(kär′pit),USA pronunciation n.
v.t.
car′pet•less, adj.
car′pet•like′, adj.
- Textilesa heavy fabric, commonly of wool or nylon, for covering floors.
- Textilesa covering of this material.
- any relatively soft surface or covering like a carpet:They walked on the carpet of grass.
- Idioms on the carpet:
- before an authority or superior for an accounting of one's actions or a reprimand:He was called on the carpet again for his carelessness.
- [Chiefly Brit.]under consideration or discussion.
- any of a number of airborne electronic devices for jamming radar.
- a system of such devices.
v.t.
- to cover or furnish with or as with a carpet.
- British Terms[Chiefly Brit.]to reprimand.
- Vulgar Latin *carpīta, past participle of carpīre, for Latin carpere to pluck, card (wool)
- Italian carpita woolen bedspread
- Middle French carpite or Medieval Latin carpīta
- Middle English carpete cloth covering for a table, floor, bed, etc. 1300–50
car′pet•like′, adj.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
carpet /ˈkɑːpɪt/ n