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

Puree the carrots in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. —Kelly Brant, arkansasonline.com, 6 Nov. 2024

Intrinsic motivation, on the other hand, doesn’t need a carrot. —Akin Akinpelu, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

The female dog then offered the stray a toy carrot, and rested her head on the couch seat in a show of support. —Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 1 Nov. 2024

There were several carrots offered by the U.S. The Biden administration also convinced Israel by offering several incentives. —Tracy Wilkinson, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 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