carrot

[ kar-uh t ]

/ ˈkær ət /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR carrot ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a plant, Daucus carota, of the parsley family, having pinnately decompound leaves and umbels of small white or yellow flowers, in its wild form a widespread, familiar weed, and in cultivation valued for its edible root.

the nutritious, orange to yellow root of this plant, eaten raw or cooked.

something hoped for or promised as a lure or incentive: To boost productivity, leaders hinted at the carrot of subsidized housing for the workers.Compare stick¹(def 8).

verb (used with object)

to treat (furs) with mercuric nitrate preparatory to felting.

Nearby words

carrollton, carrom, carromata, carron oil, carronade, carrot, carrot and stick, carrot fly, carrot-top, carroty, carrousel

Origin of carrot

1525–35; < Middle French carotte < Late Latin carōta < Greek karōtón, derivative of kárē head, with suffix as in kephalōtón onion, derivative of kephalḗ head

Can be confused

carat caret carrot karat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for carrot

Assad has been offered safe passage to a third country as a carrot for handing over power.
U.S.: Assad’s ‘Machinery of Death’ Worst Since the Nazis|Josh Rogin|July 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I had never craved a carrot before, or fantasized about raiding an apple tree in a nearby garden.
My Week At An Austrian Fat Camp|Owen Matthews|October 27, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Study participants who were themselves overweight viewed stick—but not carrot—policies as threatening.
The Unintended Consequences of Company Wellness Penalties|Eliza Shapiro|July 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He answered her in a voice that was flat and plain, like the voice that a carrot might have.
The Day I Met Charles Schulz|Daniel J. Levitin|February 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Use that minute to peel the onion and carrot, and wash your celery.
The Gadget Chef: Reconstructed Chicken Soup|Megan McArdle|November 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Boil a carrot, cut in the form of matches, in salt water until soft.
The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book|Victor Hirtzler
The day would come when one carrot, originally rendered, would lead to a revolution.
His Masterpiece|Emile Zola
Most of them did not even own enough ground to grow a carrot in.
Ditte: Girl Alive!|Martin Andersen Nexo
Carrot and celery roots dried and browned are good, and browned peas are excellent.
The Laurel Health Cookery|Evora Bucknum Perkins
An onion has the same effect, but when onion is used in dressing the carrot is preferable.
Civic League Cook Book|Anonymous

British Dictionary definitions for carrot

carrot

/ (ˈkærət) /

noun

an umbelliferous plant, Daucus carota sativa, with finely divided leaves and flat clusters of small white flowersSee also wild carrot

the long tapering orange root of this plant, eaten as a vegetable

something offered as a lure or incentive
carrot and stick reward and punishment as methods of persuasion

Word Origin for carrot

C16: from Old French carotte, from Late Latin carōta, from Greek karōton; perhaps related to Greek karē head

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012