Word Study
caret
CIDE DICTIONARY
caret, n. [L. caret there is wanting, fr. carere to want.].
A mark [^] used by writers and proof readers to indicate that something is interlined above, or inserted in the margin, which belongs in the place marked by the caret. [1913 Webster]
caret, n. [F., a species of tortoise.].
The hawkbill turtle. See Hawkbill. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
caret, n. a mark (*,*) indicating a proposed insertion in printing or writing.
Etymology
L, = is lacking
ROGET THESAURUS
caret
Insufficiency
VB be insufficient, not suffice, come short of, run dry, want, lack, need, require, caret, be in want, live from hand to mouth, render insufficient Adj, drain of resources, impoverish, stint, put on short allowance, do insufficiently, scotch the snake.Incompleteness
N incompleteness, deficiency, short measure, shortcoming, insufficiency, imperfection, immaturity, half measures, defect, deficit, defalcation, omission, caret, shortage, interval, break, noncompletion, missing link, missing piece, missing part, gap, hole, lacuna, incomplete, imperfect, unfinished, uncompleted &c (complete), defective, deficient, wanting, lacking, failing, in default, in arrear, short of, hollow, meager, lame, halfand-half, perfunctory, sketchy, crude, mutilated, garbled, docked, lopped, truncated, in progress, in hand, going on, proceeding, incompletely, by halves, caetera desunt, caret, incompleteness, deficiency, short measure, shortcoming, insufficiency, imperfection, immaturity, half measures, defect, deficit, defalcation, omission, caret, shortage, interval, break, noncompletion, missing link, missing piece, missing part, gap, hole, lacuna, incomplete, imperfect, unfinished, uncompleted &c (complete), defective, deficient, wanting, lacking, failing, in default, in arrear, short of, hollow, meager, lame, halfand-half, perfunctory, sketchy, crude, mutilated, garbled, docked, lopped, truncated, in progress, in hand, going on, proceeding, incompletely, by halves, caetera desunt, caret.For further exploring for "caret" in Webster Dictionary Online