noun
carrot
KA-ruht
noun
1
A long, tapering orange root vegetable eaten raw or cooked.
"She chopped carrots into the stew."
"Rabbits are famous for loving carrots."
2
An incentive or reward offered to persuade someone to do something.
"The manager offered a bonus as a carrot to boost sales."
"The government dangled tax breaks as a carrot for new businesses."
How to Use Carrot
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe orange vegetable, or (figuratively) a reward used to encourage someone.
Memory tip
The phrase "carrot and stick" means using both rewards and threats to get someone to act.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
a carrot and stick approach
dangle a carrot
grated carrot
Word Forms
carroted past tense, carrots plural, carrots singular
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She chopped _____ into the stew.
Etymology
From French carotte, ultimately from Greek karoton — the same root as "carotene," the pigment that gives carrots (and some other vegetables) their orange colour.