carpet-bagger 
(at) In the western I'niti-d States, :i "wildcat" hnnki-r, 
that is our u],o hail no local abiding place, anil could not 
be found "lien wanted. (/.) lu the Southern State*, alter 
the civil war a new-comer from the North: ipprobri- 
oils term applied properly to a class ot adventurer! who 
took advantage of the' disorganized condition of political 
aliairs in tin' earlier \cars of reconstruction to .jain con- 
trol of the- public offices and to ue their Influence men hi' 
negro voters for their own sellWi end.-. The term was 
often extended to include any unpopular person of North- 
er ix'n h\ in^ ill the South. 
A food deal of bitterness of feelin- has been shown in 
all tile conventions in regard to the presence, and great 
prominence as members, ot what the Louisiana people 
call xarptt-baggerimen, that is, who an ncw-coincr.s in 
the country. " 77,.' X,,li,,i,, VI. 1 
carpet-baggism (kiir'pet-bag'izm), n. [< <-nr- 
/n t-li/ii/ + -imii.] (iovernment by carpet-bag- 
gers; the practices or methods of carpel -bao;- 
gers. See ear\>< l-lmi/i/rr, (li). [U. S. slang.] 
Whichever party is successful this year, the vile scandal 
known as r <// Ii : i'i/Jiu is .loomed, and the slates lately 
ill rebellion arc sure at last of beiiie left to them.selves. 
C. I 1 '. .Ilium*. quoted ill Merriam'.s Life of Howies. 1 1. IIP:,. 
carpet-beater (kar'pet-be"ter), n. 1. A per- 
HOU employed in cleaning carpets by beating 
the dust out of them. 2. A carpet-cleaning 
machine. It consists usually of vibrating roils that 
shake the dust from the fabric, and revolving c> lindcrs 
covered with brushes to complete the process. 
carpet-bedding (kar'pet-bed"ing), n. In Imrt.. 
a system of bedding in which neat dwarf-grow- 
ing foliage-plants alone are used in the form 
of mosaic, geometrical, or other designs. Also 
called i-il>lM>H-lM'ililinii in the United States. 
carpet'beetle (kiir'pet-be"tl), n. A popular 
name of Aiitlirfiutx nn-n/iliularue, a beetle of the 
Carpet-beetle ( Anthrenus screphttlaria). a, beetle ; t, larva. 
(Vertical lines show natural sizes.) 
family Dermestulas : so called from its destruc- 
tiveness to carpets and other woolen fabrics. 
It was brought into the United States from Europe at a 
recent period. The beetle is about 3 millimeters in length, 
short-oval in form, moderately convex, and black ; the un- 
der side is densely covered with white scales, while the up- 
per side is beautifully variegated with patches of red and 
white scales. The larva is more elongate, dirty-white in 
color, and easily recognized from the tufts of rather long, 
stitf hair on the sides, and especially at the end of the 
body. The edges of carpets lying in dark places are espe- 
cially liable to lie damaged by these larvae. Also known 
as buffalo-buy. See Anthrenvn. 
carpet-broom, carpet-brush (kar'pet-brom, 
-brush), n. A broom or brush for sweeping or 
cleaning carpets. 
carpet-dance (kar'pet-dans), n. A dance or a 
dancing-party of an easy and unceremonious 
character, the carpet not being lifted for the 
occasion, as for a ball. Dickens. 
carpet-friend (kar'pet-frend), n. One whose 
friendship has no strength or sincerity. 
Max. Shall I forsake you in my doubts ? 
Arciu*. You must. 
Max. I must not, nor I will not. Have I liv'd 
Only to be a carpet-friend, for pleasure? 
Beau, and Ft., Valentinian, iv. 2. 
carpeting (kar'pet-ing), . [< carpet, n., + 
-ing 1 .] Cloth for carpets ; carpets in general, 
carpet-knight (kar'pet-nlt), n. A person 
knighted on some ground other than that of 
military service or distinction; a knight who 
has not known the hardships of the field. So 
Shakspere speaks of "a knight dubbed with 
unbacked rapier and on carpet consideration." 
You are women, 
Or, at the best, loose carpet-knirjhts. 
ilannnger, JIaiu of Honour, IL 5. 
His square-turned joints, and strength of limb, 
Showed him no carjiet -knight so trim, 
lint, in close tight, a champion grim, 
In camps a leader sage. Scott, Marmlon, 1. 5. 
carpet-monger (kar'pet-mung*ger), n. 1. A 
dealer in earpets. 2. One most at home on a 
carpet; a lover of ease and pleasure. 
A whole hook full of these quondam carpe.t-monrjers, 
w hose names yet run smoothly in the even road of a blank 
verse. Shall. , Much Ado, v. 2. 
831 
carpet-moth (kar'pet-m6th), ii. A name of 
sundry geomel rid moths, from their variegated 
coloration. 
carpet-rod (k&r'pet-rod), . One of the rods 
used to keep a stair-carpet in its plnce. 
carpet-snake (kftr'pet-sntt), . A large Aus- 
tralian serpent. Mori'liii r/irii ij/iln, ;t kind of 
python or Ima: so ealled from its variegated 
coloration. 
carpet-strainer (kiir'pct-stra"ner), n. Same as 
I'lir/'i l-fln li-ln r. 
carpet-stretcher (kar'pet-strech'cr), H. A 
tool for stretching a carpet and holding it firm- 
ly while being tacked to the floor. 
Carpet-sweeper (kiir'pet-swe per), . A me- 
chanieul sweeper or broom for cleaning car- 
pets and collecting the dust in a closed pan. 
It is sometime- operated by means of a crank on the 
handle, but commonly a cylindrical brush is moved by 
thi; rolU-r-wheel.s that support the apparatus on the lloor, 
the pushing forward of the machine by the handle serving 
to keep il in operation. 
carpet-thread (kilr'pet-thred). n. A heavy, 
three-cord thread of linen with a soft satin- 
like finish, used for sewing breadths of carpet 
together. 
carpet-walkt (kar'pet-wak), . A walk on 
smooth turf. En li/ii. 
carpet-wayt (kiir'pet-wa), n. A green way; a 
strip or border of greensward left round the 
margin of a plowed field. Jfni/. 
carpet-weed (kar'pet-wed), n. The popular 
name of plants of the genus Mollugo, incon- 
spicuous annuals, somewhat resembling plants 
of the genus Giilium in their habit, found in the 
warmer regions of both hemispheres. M. verti- 
cilliitu is most widely distributed. 
carpet- worsted (kar'pet-wur8"ted), it. A 
coarse kind of worsted sewing-thread, sold in 
balls. Diet, of Needlework. 
carpholite (kar'fo-Ut), n. [Also written kar- 
/i/iiilite; < Gr. xdp^of, a dry stalk, straw (< nap- 
<peiv, dry up, wither), + /J6of, a stone.] A 
hydrous silicate of aluminium and manganese, 
occurring in delicate radiating tufts of a straw- 
yellow color at the Bohemian tin-mines. 
carphologia (kar-fo-16'ji-ii), n. [NL., < Gr. 
Kapipn'/M-yia, a gathering of dry sticks (or bits of 
wool, etc.), < K/3^of, straw, dry sticks, bits of 
wool, etc., + /.iyetv, gather, pluck.] Inpathol., 
a delirious picking at the bedclothes in sick- 
ness; floccillation. 
carphology (kar-fol'o-ji), n. [= F. carphologie 
= Sp. carfologUi = Pg. carpholngia, < NL. car- 
phologia: see carphologia.] Same as carpho- 
logia. 
Carphophis (kiir'fo-fis), . [NL., < Gr. tn/)^oc, 
a small dry body, 4- 60<c, a serpent.] A genus 
of small harmless worm-like serpents, of the 
family Calamuriidai, containing the common 
worm-snake of the United States, C. amcma, 
formerly called Ccluta amcena, 
carphosiderite (kiir-fo-sid'e-rit), n. [< Gr. Kap- 
ijar, straw, + otmipknK, of iron, < aitfypof, iron.] 
A hydrous iron sulphate, occurring in straw- 
yellow incrustations. 
carpi, . Plural of carpus. 
carpid (kar'pid), w. [= P. carpidie, < NL. car- 
pidium, < Gr. as if 'nafHrtSuiv, dim. of Kapv6f, 
fruit.] Same as carpel. 
carpidium (kar-pid'i-um), . ; pi. carpidia (-a). 
[NL. : see carpid.] Same as carpel. 
carpincho (kar-pin'cho), n. [Native name in 
Brazil.] A name of the giant water-cavy or 
capibara. 
carping (kar'ping), n. [< ME. carpinge ; verbal 
n.of carp^v.] If. Speech; talk; conversation. 
Ther carpinge comynliche of conceill arisith. 
Richard the RedeUss, L 87. 
When thou sest any man drynkyng 
That taketh hede of thy karvyng, 
Soon a-non thou sece thy tale, 
Whethur he drynke wyne or Ale. 
Babeet Book (E. E. T. S.), p. 14. 
2. The act of caviling; a cavil; unreasonable 
criticism or censure. 
Those . . . carpiiigs . . . made as to the passage through 
the Eed Sea. C. Leslie, Short Method with Deiste. 
carping (kar'ping), p. a. [Ppr. of carp 1 , v.] 
Faultfinding ; over-critical. =Syn. Caviling, etc. See 
carpingly (kar'ping-li), adv. In a carping man- 
ner; captiously. 
carpintero (kar-pin-ta'ro), . [Sp. pajaro ear- 
/lintcro, woodpecker, lit. 'carpenter-bird'; car- 
pintero real, the ivory-billed woodpecker, lit. 
f royal carpenter': see carpenter.] A name of 
several species of woodpeckers in the south- 
western United States, from their tapping and 
CtirfiHHi Hftulut. 
a, fruiting branch ; *. single nutlet, with 
bract, on a larger scale. 
Carpocratian 
boring wood. one <>f tin- commonest ,-peeies t>. which 
the name is given is the California woodpecker, Mtla- 
IH-rfH-.-; i<'n< 
: another 
is the <:ila 
w o o d pecker, 
!''<, mix uro- 
l'l/,li(llin, 
Carpinus 
(kiir-pi'nus), 
n. [L., horn- 
beam.] A 
sinn 11 genus 
of trees or 
tall shrubs, 
of the natu- 
ral order Cu- 
pulifcr/i. n,,. 
have de- 
ei'hi'ins leaves, 
like those nf the 
In',-- li. and hul'il 
(,.U-tl Wood, 
and are natives 
<f Kurope. tin- 
Levant, and 
North Ameri- 
ca. Tile horn- 
beam of Ijirope. r. Betuliu, and the hornbeam or blue 
beech of tin- I nited States, r. Cn ,,,!,,,,,,. a I > small trees 
with heavy, very hard, and strong wood, which is some- 
times used for levers, the handles nf tools, 001 
carp-lice (kiirp'lis), >/. /</. A u< -neml name of 
the small parasitic crustaceans or fish-lice of 
the family Argulida; forming with some au- 
thors a suborder Branchiura, by others referred 
to the Brancliiopoda : BO called because they 
infest carp or cyprinoid fishes. 
carpmealst, carpnelt, . [Origin unknown; 
cf. carpet.] A Kind of coarse cloth formerly 
made in the north of England. 
carpo-. [< Gr. Kapiro-, combining form of nap- 
?rof, fruit : see carp 1 .) An element in certain 
compound words, meaning fruit. 
carpobalsamum (kar-po-barsa-mum), n. [NL. 
(> F. carjiobalsame = Sp. Pg. It. carjiobalsamo), 
< Gr. Kopmif, fruit,-!- fid'Ana/iov, balsam.] 1. The 
dried fruit of Commiphora (Balnamotlentlrun) 
Opobalwimum, the tree which yields balm of Gi- 
lead. 2. An aromatic volatile oil resembling 
oil of cloves, obtained from this fruit. 
Carpocapsa (kar-po-kap'sa). . [NL. (> Sp. 
carpocapso), < Gr. Kapirif, fruit, + wifxo, the act 
of devouring, < K&TTTCIV, gulp down, devour.] 
1. A genus of tortricid mothg, or lepidopterous 
Jumping-seed Carpocapsa (C. saltitans}. 
a, larva; b, pupa ; r, moth. ( Cross and perpendicular lines show 
natural sizes.) 
insects, of the family Tortrtcidai, whose larv 
are highly destructive to fruit. C.pomonana orpo- 
monella infests all Europe where apples and pears are cul- 
tivated, depositing its eggs in the fruit as soon as it is set. 
Its larva; come to their full size in July, when the fruit is 
about two thirds grown, and then escape hy boring their 
way to the ouUide. The larva of C. Kiltitan* (West.), the 
jumping-seed Carpocapsa, infests the seed of a species of 
Euphorbia. When heat is applied to the seed the larva 
within jumps; hence the name. 
2. [I. c.] An insect of this genus, 
carpocephalum (kar-po-sef a-lum), n. ; pi. car- 
pocephala (-la). [NL.', < Gr. /co/m-of, fruit, + 
Kefali/, head.] In Hepatica?, a cephalate struc- 
ture upon which the spore-cases are borne. 
Carpocephalum entire at margin, or nearly so. 
Bull, nf 1U. Stale Laboratory, II. 31. 
carpocerite (kar-pos'e-rlt), n. [< Gr. xapn6f, 
the wrist, carpus, + c&Mf, horn.] In CruSta- 
cea, that one of the joints of an antenna which 
is borne upon the ischiocerite. 
Carpocratian (kar-po-kra'shian), n. [= F. 
Carpocratien, < Carpocrates : see def.] A mem- 
ber of a sect of Gnostics of the second century, 
followers of Carpocrates or Carpocras of Alex- 
andria. He taught the doctrine of metempsychosis and 
the preexistence of the soul, and maintained that the 
world was created by inferior spirits ; that Jesus was the 
son of Joseph, and like other men, except that his soul 
was pure and steadfast ; that he received from the Great 
First Cause special power to overcome the evils of the 
world through intimate recollection of his previous exist- 
ence in an exalted state ; and that in proportion as men 
attain to this recollection in their own case they are freed 
from the restraints of the moral law, faith and charity 
being the only necessary virtues. 
