carton
UK: ˈkɑːtn | US: ˈkɑːrtn
n. a lightweight box or container, typically made of cardboard or plastic, used for packaging goods.
n. a large quantity of something, especially when packaged in such a container (e.g., "a carton of milk").
carton = cart<card> + on<noun suffix>
- cart (from French carton, meaning "cardboard" or "thick paper," derived from Italian cartone, meaning "pasteboard").
- on (a noun-forming suffix in French, often indicating a material or object).
Etymology Origin:
The word carton traces back to the Italian cartone (pasteboard), which itself comes from carta (paper), rooted in Latin charta (paper or leaf of papyrus). The term evolved in French to describe cardboard packaging, later adopted into English with the same meaning. The morpheme cart preserves the core idea of "cardboard," while -on solidifies its function as a noun. The word’s journey reflects the material’s historical use in packaging and art (e.g., cartoon originally meant a preparatory drawing on stiff paper).
She recycled the empty juice carton after breakfast.
The eggs were packed securely in a cardboard carton.
He bought a carton of cigarettes from the store.
The artist used a carton as a makeshift palette.
Please dispose of the milk carton in the recycling bin.