caret

American  

[kar-it] / ˈkær ɪt /

noun

1. a mark (‸) made in written or printed matter to show the place where something is to be inserted.

---

caret British  

/ ˈkærɪt /

noun

1. a symbol ( ) used to indicate the place in written or printed matter at which something is to be inserted

---

Etymology

Origin of caret

1700–10; < Latin caret (there) is lacking or wanting, 3rd person singular present indicative of carēre to be without

Explanation

A caret is a little mark that looks like a line drawing of a roof. You use a caret when you're editing a text, to show where something should be inserted. The word caret comes into English in the 17th century — from the Latin word "is lacking.” It was originally used to indicate corrections to the typesetter, and it's not surprising that the word appears when printing presses were in full swing. Don't confuse this caret with its homonyms — the karat that measures the purity of gold, or the carat that tells you the weight of your diamonds, or the carrot that's a crunchy orange vegetable.

Example Sentences

Caret Studio, based in Florence, Italy, elegantly urges distancing by demarcating a piazza in Vicchio in a checked tablecloth pattern, called “StoDistante.”

From New York Times • Dec. 21, 2021

The aerospace industry also boasts an unprecedented number of women in high-ranking positions, including Leanne Caret, who leads Boeing’s defense and space division and Gwynne Shotwell, the president and chief operating officer of SpaceX.

From Washington Post • Nov. 26, 2019

Caret, 49, currently heads the defense division's services and support sector, which has about 13,000 employees.

From Reuters • Feb. 24, 2016

Caret will be the first woman to head Boeing's defense business.

From Reuters • Feb. 24, 2016

What is the use of the Caret as a Diacritical Mark?

From 1001 Questions and Answers on Orthography and Reading by Hathaway, B. A.