caret

IPA/ˈkærət/
IPA/ˈkærət/

caret — noun

  • caretsingular
  • caretsplural

1. a small symbol (^) placed under a line of handwritten or printed text to show ex

1.名詞C1
釋義

a small symbol (^) placed under a line of handwritten or printed text to show exactly where something needs to be inserted

例句

Tomas drew a caret under the line to show where the missing word went.

collocation: draw a caret under the line

The teacher placed a caret on Yara's story where a verb was needed.

pattern: place a caret + where-clause

同義詞
  • insertion mark

    a more descriptive term for the same symbol, used in copyediting

  • wedge

    an informal name for the caret based on its shape

用法筆記

Also known as a 'wedge' in some editing circles. This mark belongs to traditional proofreading and is rarely seen outside publishing or manuscript editing.

常見錯誤

❌She drew a carrot on the paper.
✅She drew a caret on the paper.
💡'carrot' is a vegetable; a 'caret' is the proofreading symbol ^.

2. a blinking mark on a computer or phone screen that shows the user where new text

2.名詞B2
釋義

a blinking mark on a computer or phone screen that shows the user where new text will appear when they type

例句

Amara moved the caret to the end of the line and typed her name.

pattern: move the caret to + location

The caret blinked on Hamid's screen, waiting for him to start the email.

同義詞
  • cursor

    a broader term for any on-screen position indicator, including the mouse arrow

  • insertion point

    the formal term used in word-processing software menus and dialogs

  • text cursor

    a more descriptive synonym that distinguishes it clearly from the mouse cursor

用法筆記

In everyday conversation, most users simply say 'cursor' rather than 'caret' for the blinking text marker. 'Caret' in this computing sense is more common in technical documentation.