grass carp

noun

plural grass carp also grass carps

: a freshwater cyprinid fish (Ctenopharyngodon idella) of eastern Asia that is olive-brown with a silvery-white belly and that has been introduced into non-native waters where it is often considered an invasive (see invasive entry 1 sense 1a) species

Native to Asia, grass carp were first imported here in 1963 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to evaluate as an alternative to herbicides and mechanical weed control.

—Carolyn Shea

Note: Grass carp, along with the related bighead carp, black carp, and silver carp, are often called Asian carp in the U.S.

called also white amur

Examples of grass carp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Silver carp, grass carp and bighead carp have been documented in the upper river system for years, and a study earlier this year from the U.S. Geological Survey found that black carp are also naturally reproducing in the river basin. —Madeline Heim, Journal Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2024

According to the study, zebra and quagga mussels have had the biggest environmental impact, followed by grass carp and the common reed, which received the same ranking. —Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2024

Bighead, silver, black and grass carp are four species of invasive carp threatening waterways in much of the U.S. —Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 21 June 2024

The next shoe in the lineup boasted grass carp leather. —Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 12 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1885, in the meaning defined above