carrot

[ kar-uh t ]
/ ˈkær ət /

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.

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

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH carrot

carat caret carrot karat

Example sentences from the Web for carrot

British Dictionary definitions for carrot

carrot
/ (ˈkærət) /

noun

an umbelliferous plant, Daucus carota sativa, with finely divided leaves and flat clusters of small white flowers See also wild carrot
the long tapering orange root of this plant, eaten as a vegetable
  1. something offered as a lure or incentive
  2. 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