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.