carrot

[kar-uht]

noun

1. 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.

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

3. something hoped for or promised as a lure or incentive.

   To boost productivity, leaders hinted at the carrot of subsidized housing for the workers.

verb (used with object)

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

carrot

/ ˈkærət /

noun

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

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

3. 1. something offered as a lure or incentive

   2. reward and punishment as methods of persuasion

Word History and Origins

Origin of carrot¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of carrot¹

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

Example Sentences

Swedish footballer Rami Kaib was sidelined for weeks after breaking his jaw eating a carrot.

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The cook had followed the recipe to perfection: chunks of tender stew meat simmered with onions, garlic, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and tomatoes, seasoned with caraway and, of course, the paprika.

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“Gallop on, my brave pony! There will be sweet carrots in it for you when we get back to the barn!”

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Daddy kept a beautiful garden in her backyard, with rows of string beans, rhubarb, potatoes, onions, scallions, carrots, radishes, and beans.

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Grate in a little carrot and suddenly you’ve made breakfast cosplay as carrot cake.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• accolade 
• advantage 
• bonus 
• bounty 
• championship 
• citation 
• crown 
• dividend 
• gold 
• honor 
• inducement 
• jackpot 
• medal 
• payoff 
• purse 
• reward 
• scholarship 
• title 
• trophy 
• windfall