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

Companion plants for cucumbers include arugula, banana peppers, broccoli, beans, carrots, tomatoes, hot peppers, and eggplant. —Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 28 May 2026

In late summer, the bounty comes to full fruition with crops like tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, squash, melon and carrots. —Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 27 May 2026

Small touches like brown butter on the carrots, a tomato-basil topping on the chicken, and a genuinely excellent curry made the dinners feel more thoughtful than my usual weeknight rotation. —Erin Bunch, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 May 2026

Thursday, June 4, Lemon Pepper Chicken, wild rice, carrots, mixed fruit, milk. —Ramona Sentinel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 May 2026

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

Rhymes for carrot

• barret

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 of the family Apiaceae synonym Umbelliferae, the carrot family) 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