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

Bits of pickled veg and infused butters come with the bread course, and the Parker House-like bread itself is multicolored thanks to leftover bits of beet and ramp and carrot. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

In it, an unnamed little boy plants, weeds, waters and then patiently watches over his carrot seed for a very, very long time. — Liz Rosenberg, The Conversation, 14 Aug. 2026

However, denser vegetables like mushrooms, eggplant, cauliflower, carrots, and Brussels sprouts benefit from 30 minutes to 1 hour, Gavin says. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026

Without a durable carrot to match the stick, a 15% duty is more likely to raise costs now than build a self-sufficient supply chain anytime soon. — Ken Silverstein, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 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