kelp 
kelp 1 (kelp), ii. [Early mod. E. also kilp, 
< ME. l.'i Ip. /.'.v'/>, a hook for a pot, also a sheath 
(orig. hiltf), < Icel. kilpr, a handle of a vessel, 
a loop; cf. Klpa, a trap for otters.] 1. A hook 
or crook by means of which a pot or kettle is 
hung over a fire. [Prov. Eng.] 
A kylpe [var. kelpe\ of a calilron, [[,.] perpendlciilum. 
Cain. Angl., p. 208. 
2f. A sheath. 
The fend that al this world wolde kills 
His swerd he pulto vp in his kelp. 
Holy Rood (ed. Morris), p. 140. 
kelp- (kelp), M. [Also kilp; origin unknown.] 
1. (a) Large seaweeds, such as are used in pro- 
ducing the manufactured kelp, in coast regions 
kelp is largely employed as a fertilizer, especially In the 
west of Ireland. It is composed chiefly of Fucacece and 
Laminarita. In New England it includes especially spe- 
cies of Lainiiuiria called devil's-apron, Ayaruin Turneri, 
the sea-colander, and Alaria ewulenta, besides littoral spe- 
cies of Fucw called rockuved. 
As for the relts, kilpe, tangle, and such like sea-weeds, 
Nicander saith they are as good as treacle. 
ii-u.i n:i. tr. of Pliny, xxxll. 6. 
A line of the sand-heach 
Covered with waifs of the tide, with kelp and the slippery 
sea-weed. Longfellow, Evangeitne, v. 1. 
(6) Specifically, the seaweed Macrocystis pyri- 
J'era, of the Pacific coast of North and South 
America, etc. Its tough, slender stems are said to grow 
sometimes more than 800 feet long. Ascending from sub- 
marine rocks, it reveals their presence to sailors ; and it 
forms an extensive tangled mass which serves on exposed 
coasts as a natural breakwater. 
There is one marine production .which from Its Impor- 
tance is worthy of a particular history; it is the /.-//< or 
Macrocystis pyrifera. 
Darwin, Voyage of the Beagle, p. 239. 
2. The product of seaweeds when burned, from 
which carbonate of soda is obtained, it was for- 
merly much used in the manufacture of glass and soap, 
and large quantities of Iodine are now obtained from the 
residue after the carbonate of soda is separated. Bull- 
head kelp, Nereocystis Luetkeana of northwestern Amer- 
ica, the long filaments of which are used by the Imlluns 
for fishing-lines. Great kelp, of California, the Macro- 
ci/xtis pyrifera. See def. 1 (6), above. Kelp glass. See 
glass. Kelp salt, a by-product of the manufacture of 
potash from the ashes of seaweeds. It contains sodium 
sulphate, carbonate, and chlorid, and small quantities of 
potassium sulphate. Formerly used in glass-making. 
Rock-kelp. Same as rockweed. See def. 1 (a\ above. 
kelp 3 (kelp), n. [Origin obscure.] A young 
crow. [Prov. Eng.] 
kelp-fish (kelp'fish), H. 1. A blennioid fish, 
Heterostichus rostratus. It has a scaly body with a 
conspicuous lateral line, a small pointed head, and a very 
long dorsal fin with about 37 spines and 18 rays, the 5 an- 
terior spines being wide apart, and separated from the 
rest by a notch. It attains a length of about 15 Inches, 
and is common along the Pacific coast of America, from 
San Francisco to Santiago. 
2. A labroid fish, Platuglossus scmicinctug, with 
9 dorsal spines, and or a greenish-brown color 
with bright reflections. It is common south- 
ward along the Lower Calif ornian coast. 3. 
Any fish of the family Ditremidte, found on the 
west coast of the United States. 
kelp-goose (kelp'gos), . Chloephaga antarc- 
tica of South America. Also called rock-goose. 
kelpie, kelpy (kel'pi), . [Origin unknown.] 
An imaginary spirit of the waters, generally ap- 
pearing in the form of a horse, who was believed 
to give warning of approaching death by drown- 
ing, and sometimes maliciously to assist in 
drowning persons. [Scotch.] 
These ponderous keys shall the kelpies keep, 
And lodge in their caverns so dark and deep. 
Queen Mary's Escape. from Ijochleven. 
That bards arc second-sighted is nae joke, 
And ken the lingo of the sp'ritual folk; 
Fays, Spnnkies, Kelpies, a', they can explain them. 
Burns, Brigs of Ayr. 
kelp-pigeon (kelp'pij'qn), n. The sheathbill, 
t'hinitits ii/ixi, of the Falklands: so called by 
sailors from its size and white color and its 
habitual resorts. 
kelp-whaling (kelp'hwa'ling), n. The pursuit 
of the California gray whale : so called from its 
resorts. 
kelpwort(kelp'wert), w. The prickly glasswort, 
Salsola Kali, burned to produce barilla, a sub- 
stance resembling kelp. See kelp?, 2. 
kelpy, n. See l.t'l/iic. 
kelson, See keelson. 
Kelt 1 , n. See Cclfl. 
kelt- (kelt), M. [Origin obscure.] A spent sal- 
mon that is, one that has spawned. [Scotch.] 
When they {salmon] are descending rivers after spawn- 
ing, they are termed kelts or black salmon. 
St. Nichols, XIII. 740. 
kelt 3 (kelt), . [Origin obscure.] Cloth made 
of black and white wool mixed and not dyed. 
Fttirholt. [Scotch.] 
3273 
Na dentle gelr this Doctor seikin 
Ane hamelie hat, a cott of kelt. 
Legend, Bp. St. Androls, Poems of 16th Cent, p. 327. 
kelter 1 , . See kilter. 
kelter 2 t (kel'ter), a. [< kelt* + -er.] Made of 
kelt. [Scotch.] 
He put him on an old Keller coat, 
And Hose of the same above the knee. 
Roxburgh Ballads, II. 860. 
Keltic, Kelticism, etc. See Celtic, etc. 
keltie, kelty (kel'ti), w. [Said to be so called 
from a famous champion drinker in Kinross- 
shire.] A large glass or bumper, imposed as a 
fine on those who, as it is expressed, do not 
drink fair. [Scotch.] Cleared keltie aff, having 
drunk one's glass quite empty, previous to drinking a bum- 
per. 
Fill a brimmer this is my excellent friend Bailie 
NlcolJarvle's health. . . . Are ye a 1 cleared keltie a/> Fill 
anlther. Scott, Rob Roy, xxvili. 
Keltle's mends. See mends. 
kelyphite ( kel'i-fit), n. [< Gr. Ktlvtof , a sheath, 
case, + -j'te 2 .] An alteration-product forming 
a zone about crystals of pyrope, found in Bo- 
hemia. It nearly resembles serpentine in com- 
position. 
kembt (kern), v. t. [< ME. kembeti, < AS. cem- 
ban (= MD. kemben, D. kammen = LG. keimen 
= OHG. kemben, cliemnen, MHG. kemben, kem- 
men, G. kammen = Icel. kemba = Dan. kjiemme 
= Sw. kamma), comb, < camb, comb : see comb 1 , 
n. Cf. comb' 1 , v. Hence pp. kempt, and the 
negative unkempt, the latter still common in lit- 
erary use.] To comb. 
He kembeth hise lokkes brode and made him gay. 
Chaucer, Miller's Tale, 1. 188. 
More kembed, and bathed, and rubbed, and trimmed. 
B. Jonson, Catiline, 1. 1. 
kembt (kem), n. [A var. of comb 1 = kame, af- 
ter kemb, r.] A comb. 
My sister Malsry came to me, 
Wl' silver bason, and silver kemb, 
To kemb my headle upon her knee. 
Alison Gross (Child's Ballads, 1. 170). 
kembing (kem'ing), n. [Cf. kemelin, kimeling.] 
A brewing-vessel, 
kembot, a. and v. See kimbo. 
kembollt, kemboldt, Same as kimbo. See 
akimbo. 
kembstert (kem'ster), n. [Also kempster; < ME. 
kempstare, kemster (= OLG. kemstere); < kemb + 
-ster.] A woman who cleaned wool. HalliweU. 
kemelint, kemlint, . Same as kimttel. 
kemest, . A Middle English form of camis. 
keming-stockt, [< 'kerning (a form of c/itm- 
neyi) + stock.] The back of a chimney-grate. 
He fell backward into the fyre, 
And brake his head on the keming-stock. 
Wyf of Auchtinnuchty (Child's Ballads, VIII. 120). 
kemp 1 (kemp), v. i. [A var. of camp 1 (after 
kemp 1 , n.): see cam;) 1 , v.] To strive or con- 
tend in any way; strive for victory, as in the 
quantity of work done by reapers in the har- 
vest-field. [Scotch and old Eng.] 
There es no kynge undlre Crlste may /,,,;,/ with hym 
one ! 
He wille be Alexander ayre, that alle the erthe lowttede. 
Morte Arthure (E. E. T. 8.), 1. 2634. 
kemp 1 (kemp), . [< ME. kempe, < AS. cempa 
(= OFries. kampa, kempa = Icel. kempa = Dan. 
kjcempe = Sw. kampe), a warrior: see camp' 1 , v., 
and champion 1 .] If. A champion; a knight. 
"O kni,->t," qnath the king, " what kemp is that like, 
That wan so on my sone is he so donjtt?" 
William of Palerne (E. E. T. S.X 1. 3746. 
2. The act of striving for superiority in any 
way. [Scotch.] 
kemp 2 (kemp), a. and n. [< ME. kempe, cainpe, 
shaggy, rough.] I.f a. Shaggy; rough. 
Lik a griffoun lokede he ahoutc 
With kempe [var. kemped] heres on his browes stoute. 
Chaucer, Knight's Tale, 1. 1276. 
II. n. Coarse hair which is closely mingled 
with the finer hair or wool, and has to be sep- 
arated from it before the manufacturing of fine 
goods, especially in goat's hair of choice and 
expensive kind. 
An element in all bad-bred wool is the presence of kempt, 
a small white hair, which is very brittle and which will 
not take any dye. Un, Met, IV. 978. 
Also kempt i/. 
kemp 3 t (kemp), n. [< ME. kempe, an eel ; prob. 
a particular use, as also in def. 2, of kemp, a 
champion: see kempi, n.] 1. An eel. Prompt. 
Parr., p. 270; Palsgrave, 1530. 2. A boar. 
kemp 4 (kemp), n. [Cf. Sw. kampar and kampe- 
i/riix.] The ribwort-plantain, Plantago IUIH-KI- 
lutii, more especially the stalk and spike; also, 
ken 
the common plantain, Plantago major, and per- 
haps /'. media Sea-kemp, Plantago maritima, the 
sea-plantain. [Scotch. ] 
kemper (kem'per). w. [= D. kamper = MLG. 
ki'in/it-r = ( i . /.lim/ifi r = Dan. kcmiper; as kemp 1 , 
v., + -er 1 .] One who kemps, or strives for su- 
periority; specifically, one striving to complete 
the largest amount of work. [Scotch.] 
Mark, I see nought to hinder you and me from helping 
to give a hot brow to this bevy of notable kempen. 
Blaclnmod's Mag., Jan., 18'Jl, p. 401. 
kempery-mant (kem'per-i-man), n. [Appar. 
meant for kemping-man,<, kemping (Sc. kempiii), 
verbal n. of kemp', r.] A champion ; a fighter. 
Up then rose the kemperye men, 
And loud they gan to crye : 
Ah ' traytors, yee have slayne our king, 
And therefore yee shall dye. 
King Kstmere (Child's Ballads, III. 170). 
I only want an excuse like that for turning kempery- 
man knight-errant, as those Norman puppies call It 
Kinydcy, Hereward, I. 
kemple (kem'pl), . [Origin obscure.] A Scot- 
tish weight of straw, from 14 to 16 stone tron. 
kemps (kemps), n. pi, [PI. of kemp*.] A chil- 
dren's game in which plantain-stems are the 
weapons, the object aimed at being to strike 
off the head. Compare cocks. [Scotch.] 
kempstert, . See kembster. 
kempstockt, ". [Ct.kemina-stock.] A capstan. 
Panurge took two great cables of the ship, and tied them 
to the kempitock or capstan which was on the deck towards 
the hatches. Urquhart, tr. of Rabelais, II. 25. 
kemptt (kempt). A past participle of kemb. 
kempty (kemp'ti), a. and n. Same as kemjft. 
kemset, >< A Middle English form of camis. 
kemstert, . See kembster. 
ken 1 (ken), r. ; pret. and pp. kenned, ppr. ken- 
ning, [(a) < ME. kennen, show, declare, teach, 
< AS. cennan, cause to know, = OFries. kanna, 
I;/ Him = OS. kennian (in comp. ant-kennian), 
cause to know, = D. kennen = OHG. kennan, 
*chennan (in comp. ar-, hi-, in-kennan), MHG. G. 
kennen= Icel. kenna = Sw. kanna = Thai. kjende, 
know, = Goth, kannjan, also in comp. tis-kann- 
jan, cause to know; (b) < ME. kennen, know, < 
Icel. kenna, know (above) ; an orig. causal verb, 
< AS. (etc.) cunnan, ind. cann, know: see can 1 .] 
I. tram. If. To show; declare; teach; point 
out; tell. 
Y loued not hem that me good kende, 
I castide me no thing to be in that meen. 
To loue inj enemyes y wolde not entende. 
Political Poems, etc. (ed. Furnivall), p. 199. 
"For thl mekenesse, man," quod she, "and for thi mylde 
kenne the to my cosyn that Clergye Is hoten." 
Piers Plowman (B), x. 148. 
2. To see; descry; recognize. [Obsolete or 
archaic.] 
After many dayes sayling, they kenned land afarre off, 
whereunto the Pilots directed the ships. 
Halduyt's Voyages, I. 245. 
The shepheardes swayne you kannot wel ken, 
But it be by his pryde, from other men. 
Spttiser, Shep. Cal., September. 
None but a spirit's eye 
Might ken that rolling orb. 
Shelley, Queen Mab, II. 
3f. To lie within sight of; have a view of. 
Pliny called a place In Plcardy Portnm Morinorum Brl- 
tannicum : that Is, The British haven or port of the Mo- 
rines, either for that they tooke ship there to passe over 
into Britain, or because it kenned Brltalne over against it 
on the other side of the Sea. 
Holland, tr. of Caniden, ii. 221. 
4. To know; understand; take cognizance of. 
[Archaic or Scotch.] 
By this mater I meane what myschefe befell, 
There no cause was to ken but vnkynd wordes. 
Destruction of Troy (E. E. T. 8.), U 1452. 
Wit and lius wit wissed me to hym, 
To kenne and to knowe kyndliche Dowel. 
Piers Plotnaan (C), xlt 141. 
FoJ. Which of you know Ford of this town 1 
Pist. I ken the wight ; he is of substance good. 
Sfto*., M. W. of W., L S, 40. 
5. In Scots laic, to acknowledge or recognize 
by a judicial act: as, to ken a widow to her 
terce (that is, to recognize or decree by a ju- 
dicial act the right of a widow to the life-rent 
of her share of her deceased husband's lands). 
See terce. 
Il.t intrans. To look around; gain knowledge 
by sight; discern. 
At once, and far as angels ken, he views 
The dismal situation waste and wild. 
Millon, P. L., L 50. 
ken 1 (ken), . [< tew 1 , r.] Cognizance ; physi- 
cal or intellectual view; especially, reach of 
sight or knowledge. 
