I. ˈkärt ə n, ˈkȧt- noun
( -s )
Etymology: French, from Italian cartone pasteboard
1.
a. : a cardboard box or container ; especially : a relatively small container that when filled with merchandise is enclosed in a larger and stronger container for shipping
b. : cardboard or a piece of cardboard suitable for making cartons
2. : a material like pasteboard or papier-mâché made by insects (as certain wasps or termites) of chewed vegetable matter often mixed with soil for use in building their nests
II. verb
( cartoned ; cartoned ; cartoning -t( ə )niŋ ; cartons )
transitive verb
: to pack or enclose in a carton
intransitive verb
: to shape cartons from cardboard sheets
a cartoning machine