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carrot stick

carrot stick

7 1.3
A thin piece of raw carrot eaten as a snack
  • noun
  • /ˈkærət stɪk/
translation icon : palitos de zanahoria
  • The only snacks they have are carrot sticks and tangerines.
  • carrot sticks and celery
  • eating carrot sticks
  • munch on carrot sticks

But Caleb, when I went from purees to solid food, one thing that I did do was I'd start with like breadsticks or carrot sticks and things like that and dips.

Examples

  • It's tough to munch carrot sticks while watching your husband eat the bag of chips you've tried to avoid all day.

    Blog text (10)
  • His grandmother was making a caramel cake, pimento cheese, carrot sticks, and Jell-O.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Another little bag was filled with carrot sticks.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • They look something like carrot sticks.

  • "Try the carrot sticks," Casey suggested.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • She thought about the carrot sticks, the grapes, and the big red apple.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • As I threw down my books on the counter, Mother opened the refrigerator and grabbed a fistful of carrot sticks.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • My mom packed a lunch every day—a sandwich with meat on it, fruit, and usually some carrot sticks or something.

    Blog text (28)
  • Today he chose the barbecued beef with sesame bun, carrot sticks on the side, cherry pie with whipped cream squiggles, and lettuce wedge with ranch.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Would you like a carrot stick with your hummus?

How Big

carrot
200 1.0
carrot stick
7 1.3

Surface Forms

carrot stick singular
carrot sticks plural

Morphology

carrot + stick

The meaning 'a stick-shaped piece of raw carrot' is directly and transparently derivable from combining 'carrot' (the vegetable) with 'stick' (a slender rod or piece); this is a straightforward noun+noun compound. Such literal compounding is common across languages and would be immediately understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Carrot stick comes from the simple image of a long, thin piece of carrot cut into a stick shape so it is easy to hold and eat. That's why today carrot stick means a raw piece of carrot used as a 'snack' or for 'dipping'.