'carrot' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'carota', where the root relates to the Greek word 'karōton'.

'carrot' changed from Old French 'carote' and Middle English 'carote' (from Late Latin 'carota') and eventually became the modern English word 'carrot' (spelling stabilized in modern English).

Initially, it referred specifically to the cultivated root vegetable (from Greek and Latin terms for the plant), and over time it also came to denote the orange color and, metaphorically, an incentive or reward.