carrot

noun

car·​rot ˈker-ət 

ˈka-rət

1

: a biennial herb (Daucus carota of the family Apiaceae synonym Umbelliferae, the carrot family) with a usually orange spindle-shaped edible root

also : its root

2

: a reward or advantage offered especially as an inducement

The company offered a carrot in the form of additional vacation time to workers who met their deadlines.

Examples of carrot in a Sentence

She chopped some carrots for the soup.

He added some grated carrot to the soup.

The company offered a carrot in the form of additional vacation time to workers who met their deadlines.

Recent Examples on the Web

The video showed the dog running around the kitchen excitedly before being given a carrot stick. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Every morning, guests are offered a steaming hot bowl of rich brown Miso soup, brewed with lemon slices, carrots, shiitake mushrooms and fresh herbs, served alongside a tall glass of tart green apple kale juice. —Jennifer Leigh Parker, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

This bowl is veggie packed with carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and cabbage, which can all be prepped the day before. —Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2024

Whereas many jarred foods contain a single ingredient like pureed peas or carrots, pouches are more often a blend that features a sweet fruit such as apple or pear as the primary ingredient. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 25 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle French carotte, from Late Latin carota, from Greek karōton

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing carrot

• carrot-and-stick
• carrot cake
• wild carrot

Kids Definition

carrot

noun

car·​rot ˈkar-ət 

: the long orange edible root of a common garden plant that is eaten as a vegetable

also : a plant that produces a carrot

Medical Definition

carrot

noun

car·​rot ˈkar-ət 

: a biennial plant of the genus Daucus (D. carota) that bears seeds which have been used especially as a diuretic and stimulant and that in cultivated varieties has a yellow or orange-red tapering root which is used as a vegetable

also : its root