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

Meanwhile, in Canada, the company uses concentrated carrot juice, watermelon juice, huito juice and blueberry juice to color Froot Loops. —Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025

While queso is always great with tortilla chips, this one is also great served with celery, carrots and bell pepper strips to dip. —Nick Siano, Miami Herald, 27 Jan. 2025

As Shilpa notes though, the plastic has a tendency to stain, especially when slicing carrots or beets. —Wilder Davies, Bon Appétit, 23 Jan. 2025

The dish: The seasonal vegetable pie features a thick, flaky crust wrapped around butternut squash, white sweet potato, carrots, celery and caramelized onions soaked in an herbed white wine sauce. —Linda Zavoral, The Mercury News, 21 Jan. 2025

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