1816, "thin pasteboard," from French carton "pasteboard" (17c.), from Italian cartone "pasteboard," augmentative of Medieval Latin carta "paper" (see card (n.1)). Originally the material for making paper boxes; extended 1890 to the boxes themselves. As a verb, from 1921.
Carthusian
cartilage
cartilaginous
cartography
cartomancy
carton
cartoon
cartoonist
cartouche
cartridge
cart-way