Carpet is thick, soft fabric that covers an entire floor. Unlike a rug, which you can move around, a carpet is installed wall to wall, fastened down so it stays in place. When you walk barefoot across a carpeted bedroom, you feel that cushioned surface under your feet.

Carpets serve several purposes. They muffle sound, making rooms quieter. They provide warmth, especially on cold mornings. They also add color and style to a space. Some carpets are plain and practical, while others feature elaborate patterns or designs.

The word also appears in a famous phrase: rolling out the red carpet. This means giving someone a special, ceremonial welcome. The phrase comes from the practice of literally unrolling a red carpet for important guests to walk on. When a school principal rolls out the red carpet for visiting students, they're treating them with special hospitality and respect, even if there's no actual carpet involved.

You might also hear someone say an issue was swept under the carpet, meaning someone tried to hide a problem instead of dealing with it honestly. The image comes from literally sweeping dirt under a carpet's edge, where others won't see it.