carton

1 of 2

noun

car·​ton ˈkär-tᵊn How to pronounce carton (audio)
Synonyms of cartonnext
: a box or container usually made of cardboard and often of corrugated cardboard
several cartons of books

carton

2 of 2

verb

cartoned; cartoning; cartons

transitive verb

: to pack or enclose in a carton

intransitive verb

: to shape cartons from cardboard sheets

Examples of carton in a Sentence

Noun She got a carton of ice cream out of the freezer. a carton of orange juice He bought a carton of cigarettes. Several cartons of books arrived yesterday.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Additionally, last month the Food and Drug Administration announced recalls for berries and more than a million cartons of eggs. — Kaicey Baylor, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026 The pause left Mexican growers out of tens of millions of dollars and temporarily sent the price of a carton of the fruit in the US soaring by 40 percent, according to analysis firm RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness. — Michael Rios, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026 Strawberry Milk Tiny cartons filled with bubblegum pink strawberry milk will forever be a calling card for school lunches. — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026 The recycling plan — known as the Producer Responsibility Program — will be funded by fees collected from the companies that create packaging for products such as soft drinks, egg cartons, soup cans and home-delivery boxes. — Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for carton

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Italian cartone pasteboard

First Known Use

Noun

1906, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of carton was in 1906

Rhymes for carton

See All Rhymes for carton

Browse Nearby Words

cartomancy
carton
cartoner
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carton.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carton. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

carton

noun
car·​ton
ˈkärt-ᵊn
: a paperboard box or container
Etymology

Noun

from French carton "cardboard box," from Italian cartone "pasteboard," from carta "sheet of paper," from Latin charta "piece of papyrus" — related to card entry 3, cartoon

More from Merriam-Webster on carton

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for carton

Nglish: Translation of carton for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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