kemp
A coarse or bristly hair, whiskerA coarse or bristly hair, whisker; (in the plural) knotty hairs that will not felt.
Meaning
4 senses(countable, dialectal, obsolete, uncountable)A coarse or bristly hair, whisker; (in the plural) knotty hairs that will not felt.
(countable, dialectal, obsolete, uncountable)Rough hair, wool, or fur.
(Scotland, archaic)A contest in work, etc.
(obsolete)A champion; a knight.
Origin
From Middle English kempe (“coarse hairs”), from Old English cenep (“moustache; bit (of aFrom 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 chin.
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.
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.
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Forms
plural: kempsWord family
2 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable