carol

noun

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car·ol | \ ˈker-əl

, ˈka-rəl \

Definition of carol

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : an old round dance with singing

2 : a song of joy or mirth the carol of a bird— Lord Byron

3 : a popular song or ballad of religious joy

carol

verb

caroled or carolled; caroling or carolling

Definition of carol (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to sing especially in a joyful manner

2 : to sing carols specifically : to go about outdoors in a group singing Christmas carols

transitive verb

1 : to praise in or as if in song

2 : to sing especially in a cheerful manner : warble

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Examples of carol in a Sentence

Noun We sang our favorite carols while we decorated the tree. sang carols at the Christmas Eve service Verb Last night, we went caroling with our friends. she caroled with glee when she heard the good news

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun One of our generous volunteers arranged for a motor coach in which Hospice staff would ride to the homes of those on the ‘at-home’ Hospice program, to sing Christmas carols. — Bulletin Board, Twin Cities, "Sunday Bulletin Board: The snow was falling, soft and gentle, on that good night, as tears were falling from every eye . . .," 22 Dec. 2019 But don't expect the Cardinals to spend the break drinking eggnog and singing Christmas carols. — Lucas Aulbach, The Courier-Journal, "This week is a quick break, but don't expect Louisville to stay off the court for too long," 20 Dec. 2019 The day included carols, Victorian-style dancing, plays, designing ornaments, decorating the common area and more. — cleveland, "Independence schools brighten lives of troops, needy with inspiration from Dickens classic," 20 Dec. 2019 Robots are placing ornaments on a tree and sitting at a synthesizer ready to play the carol of your choice at the push of a button. — Alexandra Jacobs, SFChronicle.com, "Life after Barneys: When department stores were theater," 7 Dec. 2019 Background stories will be shared on many of the carols, and the audience will be invited to sing along on many of the songs. — Shiela Johnson, baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "North Carroll: Christmas music, from medieval organ works to modern tunes, to be performed at Hampstead church," 2 Dec. 2019 But like many song lyrics, the true meaning behind the carol has been lost over the years. — Jennifer Nalewicki, Smithsonian Magazine, "New York’s Cideries Bring the Tradition of Wassailing to the Finger Lakes," 20 Jan. 2018 So too did singing carols in other languages, including Latvian and Church Slavonic. — The Economist, "In the bleak midwinter Obituary: Stephen Cleobury died on November 22nd," 18 Dec. 2019 On Wednesday nights, sing your favorite yuletide carol during Miracle karaoke. — Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, "Get your shot of holiday frivolity at this Christmas-themed holiday pop up bar in NuLu," 17 Dec. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The Cardiotonics — which means medicine for the heart — have been caroling at the Brigham for eight years. — BostonGlobe.com, "After practice runs of “Silent Night” and “Dona Nobis Pacem,” the group was ready. They walked toward their first patient room, accompanied by Michel’s upbeat accordion music.," 26 Dec. 2019 Over at Snowmass, there will be caroling, a torchlight parade with fireworks and a Roaring 20s New Year’s Eve party in the base village. — John Meyer, The Know, "From a celebrity toast to fireworks, here’s how Colorado ski areas are celebrating New Year’s Eve," 22 Dec. 2019 Children are invited to have their picture taken with Saint Nick and to enjoy Christmas stories, caroling, games and crafts. — baltimoresun.com/maryland/carroll, "Religion Briefs: Numerous events set for this weekend," 6 Dec. 2019 This includes the holiday lunch that Interfaith puts on for area seniors, which includes not just a meal, but holiday festivities like caroling as well. — Jamie Swinnerton, Houston Chronicle, "WV Interfaith Holiday GIVING program," 27 Nov. 2019 The Alexandria Community Band has been around for 107 years, but one of its most popular events began only in 2017: a night of caroling with the all-volunteer band in Del Ray. — Washington Post, "17 things to do in the D.C. area this weekend," 12 Dec. 2019 No, the one with the prime minister discovering his driver’s mighty baritone while caroling in the dodgy end of Wandsworth. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "Hail the Romcom Masterpiece," 10 Dec. 2019 There will be face painting, a scavenger hunt, cookie contests, ornament decorating, gingerbread house contests, caroling, tree lighting, a live nativity scene, prizes and more. — Chris Sims, Indianapolis Star, "Here are 27 December festivals, events around Indianapolis to keep you busy," 29 Nov. 2019 Free to the public, the fun begins with Christmas caroling at 7 p.m., followed by treats of gingerbread and wassail and a visit from Santa Claus. — Carissa D. Lamkahouan, Houston Chronicle, "What you need to know about Friendswood holiday events," 29 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'carol.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.