kemp

English

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /kɛmp/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Rhymes: -ɛmp

Etymology 1

From Middle English kempe (“coarse hairs”), from Old English cenep (“moustache; bit (of a bridle, bristling with points)”), from Proto-West Germanic *kanip, from Proto-Germanic *kanipaz (“beard, moustache, whiskers”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵénus (“jaw”). Related to camp, chin.

Noun

kemp (plural kemps)

(obsolete or dialectal) Coarse, rough hair, wool, or fur; (in the plural) knotty hairs that will not felt.

Etymology 2

From Middle English kempe, campe (“shaggy, rough”).

Adjective

kemp (comparative more kemp, superlative most kemp)

(obsolete) Shaggy; rough.

Etymology 3

From Middle English kempen, from Old English *cempan (“to do battle, fight”), from Proto-West Germanic *kampijan (“to campaign, do battle”), ultimately from Latin campus.

Verb

kemp (third-person singular simple present kemps, present participle kemping, simple past and past participle kemped)

(intransitive, obsolete) To strive or contend in any way; strive for victory.

Derived terms

kemper

Noun

kemp (plural kemps)

(Scotland, archaic) A contest in work, etc.

Etymology 4

From Middle English kempe, from Old English cempa (“warrior, fighter, champion”), from Proto-West Germanic *kampijō (“fighter”), ultimately from Latin campus. Doublet of champion. Cognate with literary German Kämpe (“champion, fighter”), German Kempf.

Noun

kemp (plural kemps)

(obsolete) A champion; a knight.

Related terms

kemper

Anagrams

MEKP

Australian Kriol

Etymology

From English camp.

Noun

kemp

camp; home (the place where one lives)

Czech

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ˈkɛmp]

Noun

kemp m inan

campsite, camp

Declension

Declension of kemp (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	kemp	kempy
genitive	kempu	kempů
dative	kempu	kempům
accusative	kemp	kempy
vocative	kempe	kempy
locative	kempu	kempech
instrumental	kempem	kempy

Middle English

Noun

kemp

Alternative form of kempe (“fish vat”)