carotene

C3A1R1O1T1E1N1E1
UK/ˈkæɹ.əˌtiːn/US/ˈkæɹ.əˌtin//ˈkɛɹ.əˌtin/

noun

A class of tetraterpene plant pigments; they vary in colour from yellow, through orange to red, this colour originating in a chain of alternating single and double bonds.

Similar
E160provitamin Acarotin
OriginEnglish car(r)ot ← Middle English karette ← Middle French carotte →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

nouncarotene (countable and uncountable, plural carotenes)

plural carotenes

  1. countableuncountablechemistryA class of tetraterpene plant pigments; they vary in colour from yellow, through orange to red, this colour originating in a chain of alternating single and double bonds.
  2. countableuncountablechemistrySpecifically, a number of isomers of tetraterpene hydrocarbons, C₄₀H₅₆, (especially beta-carotene), present in carrots etc, which are converted into vitamin A in the liver.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
E160

nounan orange isomer of an unsaturated hydrocarbon found in many plants; is converted into vitamin A in the liver

Similar
provitamin Acarotin
Broader
provitamin
Also see
carotin

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκαρώ (karṓ)der.?
  2. Ancient Greekκαρωτόν (karōtón)
  3. Latincarōta
  4. Middle Frenchcarotte
  5. Middle Englishkarette
  6. Englishcar(r)ot
  7. Englishcarotene

From car(r)ot + -ene.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian кароти́н
  • кароти́н (karotín)class of plant pigments
Catalan carotè
  • carotèclass of plant pigments
Chinese Mandarin 胡蘿蔔素 /胡萝卜素
  • 胡蘿蔔素 /胡萝卜素 (húluóbosù)class of plant pigments
Dutch caroteen
  • caroteenclass of plant pigments
Esperanto karoteno
  • karotenoclass of plant pigments
Estonian karoteen, karotiin
  • karoteenclass of plant pigments
  • karotiinclass of plant pigments
Finnish karoteeni
  • karoteeniclass of plant pigments
French carotène
  • carotèneclass of plant pigments
German Karotin, Carotin
  • Karotinclass of plant pigments
  • Carotinclass of plant pigments
Italian carotene
  • caroteneclass of plant pigments
Japanese カロテン, カロチン
  • カロテン (karoten)class of plant pigments
  • カロチン (karochin)class of plant pigments
Polish karoten
  • karotenclass of plant pigments
Portuguese caroteno
  • carotenoclass of plant pigments
Romanian caroten
  • carotenclass of plant pigments
Russian кароти́н
  • кароти́н (karotín)class of plant pigments
Spanish caroteno
  • carotenoclass of plant pigments
Swahili karotini
  • karotiniclass of plant pigments
Swedish karoten
  • karotenclass of plant pigments
Turkish karoten
  • karotenclass of plant pigments
Vietnamese carôtin
  • carôtinclass of plant pigments
Cite this entry
APA

carotene. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carotene

MLA

“carotene.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carotene. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “carotene,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/carotene.

Source: carotene on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.