carton

1 of 2

noun

car·​ton ˈkär-tᵊn 

: a box or container usually made of cardboard and often of corrugated cardboard

several cartons of books

carton

2 of 2

verb

cartoned; cartoning; cartons

transitive verb

: to pack or enclose in a carton

intransitive verb

: to shape cartons from cardboard sheets

Examples of carton in a Sentence

Noun

She got a carton of ice cream out of the freezer.

a carton of orange juice

He bought a carton of cigarettes.

Several cartons of books arrived yesterday.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Whether spooned over fresh berries, blended into smoothies, sprinkled with crunchy granola or eaten straight from the carton, yogurt has earned its place as a go-to for breakfast, midday snacks or even dessert. —Daryl Austin, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2025

Stefanski suggests choosing a single-serving item, like a frozen yogurt pop, instead of haphazardly scooping from a carton or supersizing your swirl at the fro-yo shop. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 13 Aug. 2025

Verb

This basket has a little bit of everything: a sitting bunny, Easter bonbons, caramel bonbons, peeps, an Easter egg carton a chocolate duck and some lollipops. —Sherrie Nachman, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Italian cartone pasteboard

First Known Use

Noun

1825, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for carton

• garten
• marten
• parton
• quartan
• spartan
• tartan
• kindergarten

Kids Definition

carton

noun

car·​ton

ˈkärt-ᵊn

: a paperboard box or container

Etymology

Noun

from French carton "cardboard box," from Italian cartone "pasteboard," from carta "sheet of paper," from Latin charta "piece of papyrus" — related to card entry 3, cartoon