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

Heirloom carrots may offer unique tastes and help preserve carrot diversity. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 22 Apr. 2025

Dishes will include burrata with heirloom tomatoes and stone fruit, Maine scallops with green chickpeas in a delicate kaffir lime essence, and Australian lamb loin served with spiced carrot mousse and snap peas. —Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025

Elliot was dressed in a white and brown onesie with a bunny and two carrots embroidered on top of a pocket for the festive photo shoot. —Raven Brunner, People.com, 20 Apr. 2025

One mango half contains less than two grams of fiber, around the same amount as a whole tomato or whole carrot. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 16 Apr. 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