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Definition of 'carrot'

Word Frequency

carrot

(kærət )

Word forms: plural carrots

1. variable noun

Carrots are long, thin, orange-coloured vegetables. They grow under the ground, and have green shoots above the ground.

2. countable noun

Something that is offered to people in order to persuade them to do something can be referred to as a carrot. Something that is meant to persuade people not to do something can be referred to in the same sentence as a 'stick'.

They will be set targets, with a carrot of extra cash and pay if they achieve them. [+ of]

Why the new emphasis on sticks instead of diplomatic carrots?

3. See also carrot and stick

COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

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carrot

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Word Frequency

carrot in British English

(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. carrot and stick

Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Word origin

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

Word Frequency

carrot in American English

(ˈkærət )

noun

1.

a biennial plant (Daucus carota) of the umbel family, with fernlike leaves and compound umbels of white flowers, usually with one red flower in the center: only the cultivated variety is edible

2.

the fleshy, orange-red root of the cultivated strain of this plant (var. sativa), eaten as a vegetable

3.

something offered as a tantalizing but deceptive inducement, like a carrot dangled before a donkey's nose

Idioms:

carrot and stick

Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Word origin

MFr carotte < L carota < Gr karōton, carrot; akin to kara, head: see horn

Word Frequency

carrot in Hospitality

(kærət)

Word forms: (regular plural) carrots

noun

(Hospitality (hotel): Food and drink, vegetables)

Carrots are long, thin, orange-colored vegetables.

The salad contains lettuce, tomatoes, carrots and onions.

The ham is served with a colorful blend of orange carrots and green peas.

Prepare the salad with red tomatoes, green leaves, and bright orange carrots.

COBUILD Key Words for Hospitality. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers

Examples of 'carrot' in a sentence
carrot

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…

Add the chopped potatoes and carrots and stir to coat with the oil.Halve any larger carrots vertically to make sure all are a similar size.Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes and peel the carrot lengthways into long ribbons.Roast them in a hot oven with vegetables such as carrots, celery and onion.Also add chopped, raw vegetables such as carrot sticks and cherry tomatoes to munch on.Add the onion, celery and carrot and stir until the onion is translucent.Add the carrots and celery and cook for a further 5 minutes.Clean eating doesn't mean scrubbing your carrots extra hard or not spilling half your food down your front.Peel and chop the carrots.OK, lots of carrot cakes.

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More idioms containing
carrot

offer someone a carrot

carrot and stick

Trends of
carrot

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In other languages
carrot

British English: carrot /ˈkærət/ NOUN

Carrots are long, thin, orange-coloured vegetables that grow under the ground.

American English: carrot /ˈkærət/
Arabic: جَزَر
Brazilian Portuguese: cenoura
Chinese: 胡萝卜
Croatian: mrkva
Czech: mrkev
Danish: gulerod
Dutch: wortel
European Spanish: zanahoria
Finnish: porkkana
French: carotte
German: Karotte
Greek: καρότο
Italian: carota
Japanese: ニンジン
Korean: 당근
Norwegian: gulrot
Polish: marchew
European Portuguese: cenoura
Romanian: morcov
Russian: морковь
Latin American Spanish: zanahoria
Swedish: morot
Thai: แครอต
Turkish: havuç
Ukrainian: морква
Vietnamese: củ cà rốt

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Nearby words of
carrot

Related terms of
carrot

Source

Definition of carrot from theCollins English Dictionary

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bare or bear?

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His fridge was bare apart from a tomato. His fridge was bear apart from a tomato.

pair or pear?

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pear

pair

For dessert we had poached .

sole or soul?

Which version is correct?

He was a huge fan of sole music. He was a huge fan of soul music.

main or mane?

Which version is correct?

The horse's main can be washed at the same time as his body. The horse's mane can be washed at the same time as his body.

flour or flower?

Which version is correct?

Fiona picked a beautiful red flour for the display. Fiona picked a beautiful red flower for the display.

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Scrabble score
for 'carrot':
8

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Question: 1

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Score: 0 / 5

sauce or source?

Which version is correct?

Tourism is a major sauce of income for the city. Tourism is a major source of income for the city.

chord or cord?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

cord

chord

The door had been tied shut with a length of nylon .

gave or given?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

given

gave

He was mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

forth or fourth?

Drag the correct answer into the box.

forth

fourth

Go into the desert.

hall or haul?

Which version is correct?

We are in this for the long hall. We are in this for the long haul.

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