v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Carped p. pr. & vb. n. Carping. ] [ OE. carpen to say, speak; from Scand. (cf. Icel. karpa to boast), but influenced later by L. carpere to pluck, calumniate. ] 1. To talk; to speak; to prattle. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To find fault; to cavil; to censure words or actions without reason or ill-naturedly; -- usually followed by at. [ 1913 Webster ]

Carping and caviling at faults of manner. Blackw. Mag. [ 1913 Webster ]

And at my actions carp or catch. Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Carp, formerly Carps. [ Cf. Icel. karfi, Dan. karpe, Sw. karp, OHG. charpho, G. karpfen, F. carpe, LL. carpa. ] (Zool.) A fresh-water herbivorous fish (Cyprinus carpio.). Several other species of Cyprinus, Catla, and Carassius are called carp. See Cruclan carp. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The carp was originally from Asia, whence it was early introduced into Europe, where it is extensively reared in artificial ponds. Within a few years it has been introduced into America, and widely distributed by the government. Domestication has produced several varieties, as the leather carp, which is nearly or quite destitute of scales, and the mirror carp, which has only a few large scales. Intermediate varieties occur. [ 1913 Webster ]

Carp louse (Zool.), a small crustacean, of the genus Argulus, parasitic on carp and allied fishes. See Branchiura. --
Carp mullet (Zool.), a fish (Moxostoma carpio) of the Ohio River and Great Lakes, allied to the suckers. --
Carp sucker (Zool.), a name given to several species of fresh-water fishes of the genus Carpiodes in the United States; -- called also quillback. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To say; to tell. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To find fault with; to censure. [ Obs. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Carpus. ] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the carpus, or wrist. -- n. One of the bones or cartilages of the carpus; a carpale. [ 1913 Webster ]

Carpal angle (Zool.), the angle at the last joint of the folded wing of a bird. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Carpalia [ NL., fr. E. carpus. ] (Anat.) One of the bones or cartilages of the carpus; esp. one of the series articulating with the metacarpals. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to a range of mountains in Austro-Hungary, called the Carpathians, which partially inclose Hungary on the north, east, and south. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Belonging to, forming, or containing carpels. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. (Botany) bearing or consisting of carpels. Opposite of acarpelous.
Syn. -- pistillate. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ ‖ } n. [ NL. carpellum, fr. Gr. karpo`s fruit. ] (Bot.) A simple pistil or single-celled ovary or seed vessel, or one of the parts of a compound pistil, ovary, or seed vessel. See Illust of Carpaphore. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. carpentier, F. charpentier, LL. carpentarius, fr. L. carpentum wagon, carriage. ] An artificer who works in timber; a framer and builder of houses, ships, etc.

Syn. -- Carpenter, Joiner. The carpenter frames and puts together roofs, partitions, floors, and other structural parts of a building. The joiner supplies stairs, doors shutters, mantelpieces, cupboards, and other parts necessary to finishing the building. In America the two trades are commonly united. [ 1913 Webster ]

Carpenter ant (Zool.), any species of ant which gnaws galleries in the wood of trees and constructs its nests therein. They usually select dead or somewhat decayed wood. The common large American species is Formica Pennsylvanica. --
Carpenter bee (Zool.), a large hymenopterous insect of the genus Xylocopa; -- so called because it constructs its nest by gnawing long galleries in sound timber. The common American species is Xylocopa Virginica. [ 1913 Webster ]