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

Bake until salmon is cooked through and carrots are tender, 12 to 14 minutes. —Karla Walsh, CNN Money, 14 May 2025

Made with tender cuts of reindeer meat, potatoes, and carrots, bidos is a simple dish that relies on the quality of its ingredients rather than elaborate seasoning. —David Nikel, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025

Planting sage near carrots can also deter destructive carrot flies, which bore holes and tunnels in carrot roots and can ruin an entire crop. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 May 2025

Acquiring Duncan Robinson — whose salary is only partially guaranteed — also could be a carrot for teams with high payrolls, as explained here. —Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 May 2025

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) 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