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

The centerpiece ingredient was, inexplicably, sautéed carrot. — Ruby Tandoh, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026

Or a $12 shot of carrot eau de vie, a boozy blast of beta-carotene, that takes nearly 80 pounds of produce to distill a single liter. — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026

Among the crops were carrots, corn, beets, onions and cherry tomatoes. — Harllie Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2026

Now the carrot is being dangled that Radio Andy will be taking over 101. — Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 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