Kelp (?), n. [Formerly kilpe; of unknown origin.] 1. The calcined ashes of seaweed, — formerly much used in the manufacture of glass, now used in the manufacture of iodine.
2. (Bot.) Any large blackish seaweed.
☞ Laminaria is the common kelp of Great Britain; Macrocystis pyrifera and Nereocystis Lutkeana are the great kelps of the Pacific Ocean.
Kelp crab(Zoöl.), a California spider crab (Epialtus productus), found among seaweeds, which it resembles in color. — Kelp salmon(Zoöl.), a serranoid food fish (Serranus clathratus) of California. See Cabrilla.