carrot

noun car·rot \ ˈker-ət , ˈka-rət \

Definition of carrot

1 :a biennial herb (Daucus carota of the family 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.

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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 of carrot from the Web

Preparation Bring onion, garlic, carrot, parsley, rosemary, sage, beans, pepper, and 8 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan, skimming foam as needed from surface.

— Bon Appetit, "Escarole with Cannellini Beans," 29 Aug. 2017
Anchoring every plate is Kabuli palaw, the grains soaked and swollen with drippings from roasting lamb, then topped with fat, shining raisins and carrots, caramelized and chewy.

— ligaya mishan, New York Times, "Afghan Delights, Delicate and Rugged, at Sami’s Kabab House in Queens," 24 Aug. 2017
Previous administrations have offered numerous carrots that failed to influence Pakistan’s behavior, and a rebalancing is overdue.

— kori schake, The Atlantic, "Give Trump Credit For His Afghanistan Plan," 22 Aug. 2017
The carrot has not commented publicly, but appears to have given the ring back without an argument.

— gabriella paiella, The Cut, "Long-Lost Engagement Ring Found Around Carrot Like Some Kind of Dang Fairy Tale," 16 Aug. 2017
Early each morning, trucks arrive at the sanctuary delivering loads of mangos, papayas, and carrots.

— leighshulman, Longreads, "In Foreign Territory, Wondering: Who is the Alpha Monkey?," 8 Aug. 2017
Shaving walnuts on a Microplane allows Centeno to shade pristine baby carrots with a pesto made from their tops.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
Spectacular Bid, Seattle Slew, Zenyatta, Affirmed and Citation all won their first races before gobbling stakes races like carrots.

— bryce miller, sandiegouniontribune.com, "'Secretariat-like' Arrogate roars from shadows, settles into Del Mar," 14 July 2017
By holding out the carrot of an association agreement, Davis may pacify opponents to the Euratom pullout within his own party.

— alex morales, Bloomberg.com, "U.K. May Seek Associate Membership of Euratom, Davis Says," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'carrot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of carrot

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

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First Known Use: 1533

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CARROT Defined for English Language Learners

carrot

noun

Definition of carrot for English Language Learners

: the long orange root of a plant that is eaten as a vegetable
: something that is offered as a reward or advantage to persuade a person to do something

CARROT Defined for Kids

carrot

noun car·rot \ ˈker-ət \

Definition of carrot for Students

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

Medical Dictionary

carrot

noun car·rot \ ˈkar-ət \

medical Definition of carrot

: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

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See words that rhyme with carrot Spanish Central: Translation of carrot Nglish: Translation of carrot for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of carrot for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about carrot

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carrot

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CARROT Defined for English Language Learners

carrot

Definition of carrot for English Language Learners

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carrot

Definition of carrot for Students

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carrot

medical Definition of carrot

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