carton

carton — noun

1. A container made of thin cardboard or plastic-coated paperboard, used to hold, s

1.nounA2
Definition

A container made of thin cardboard or plastic-coated paperboard, used to hold, store, or transport items — especially food, drinks, and household goods.

Example

Ravi carried the heavy carton of books up the stairs to his new apartment.

a carton of + contents (books, clothes, toys)

Priya poured the last of the orange juice from the carton into her glass.

Common collocations
  • a carton of milk
  • a carton of juice
  • a carton of eggs
  • milk carton
  • egg carton
  • cardboard carton
  • empty carton
  • fresh carton
Synonyms
  • box

    broader term; a carton is a type of box, usually lighter and made of thinner material

  • container

    more general; covers cans, jars, bottles — any receptacle for holding items

  • package

    focuses on the item as shipped or sold; a carton can be one kind of package

  • packet

    smaller and flatter than a carton; often for single-serving or dry goods

Grammar Patterns

a carton of [noun (contents)]

Usage Note

A carton is typically made of thin cardboard or paperboard, not corrugated board. In everyday English, 'carton' appears most often with liquids (milk, juice, cream) or fragile items (eggs). For heavier items or long-term storage, the word 'box' is more common.

Common Mistakes

I packed my winter clothes in a large carton.
I packed my winter clothes in a large box.
'Carton' usually refers to a lighter container for food or drinks; 'box' is better for heavy storage or moving.
She handed me a carton of tissues.
She handed me a box of tissues.
Tissues typically come in a 'box', not a 'carton'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Box is the most general term for a rigid receptacle made of cardboard, wood, plastic, or metal. A carton is a specific subtype of box, almost always made of thin cardboard or paperboard, and it is strongly associated with food and drink products — milk cartons, juice cartons, and egg cartons are the most common examples. Container is broader than either box or carton, covering cans, jars, bottles, tubs, and bags. Package refers to any item wrapped or boxed for sale or shipping, so a carton can serve as a type of package. Pack usually describes a small collection of items sold together, such as a pack of gum or a six-pack of soda. For example, you buy a carton of milk but a box of chocolates; you ship items in a cardboard carton but store leftovers in a plastic container.

box ↗container ↗packagepack ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a carton of ...

Prepositions

  • in a carton
  • out of a carton
  • from the carton

Etymology

GreekLatinItalianFrenchEnglish

Carton entered English from French 'carton' (pasteboard), which came from Italian 'cartone' (thick paper), an augmentative of 'carta' (paper). The Italian word traces back to Latin 'charta' and further to Greek 'khartes' (a leaf of papyrus). In English, 'carton' first appeared in the 1700s referring to a type of cardboard, and later broadened to mean a container made from that material.