A thick fabric floor covering, typically woven from wool or synthetic materials. Often covers the entire floor of a room for comfort and decoration.
From Old French carpite via Medieval Latin carpita, ultimately from Latin carpere meaning 'to pluck' (referring to plucked wool). The word originally described thick, coarse fabric before specializing in floor coverings.
The word's etymology reveals the ancient craft of carpet-making - literally 'plucked' wool transformed into luxury items that were originally wall hangings before becoming floor coverings. Persian and Turkish carpets were so valuable they were displayed vertically like paintings.
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