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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The milk was cold in 8-fluid-ounce cartons in both 12- and 18-count boxes. — Saleen Martin, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026 Anderson noted that whole milk cartons cost two-and-a-half cents more per carton, which can add up when buying milk in bulk for thousands of students each day. — Morgan Matzen, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 25 Aug. 2026 Prime Air is currently testing a new drone delivery mechanism that could enable it to carry a wider assortment of products, like fragile cartons of eggs or other perishables, Carbon said. — Annie Palmer, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026 Consumers can identify recalled cartons by the codes P-1950 or 0840962 alongside a Julian date between 157 and 184, printed in date-coding ink on the side of the carton. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 17 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All