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 Robinson evokes one of the great pop culture-clash duets of all time, when Bing Crosby and David Bowie did a duet on that carol on a Crosby TV special in 1977. — Christopher Arnott, courant.com, "Connecticut musicians hold a ‘Covidtorium’ virtual Christmas benefit for Cafe Nine," 17 Dec. 2020 Magic filled the air when the two came together for the first time to sing their latest carol under the garland adorning her set. — Heran Mamo, Billboard, "Kelly Clarkson & Brett Eldredge Meet for the First Time (!) to Perform Their 'Under the Mistletoe' Duet," 16 Dec. 2020 For example, in early forms of wassailing (the forerunner of neighborhood carol-singing) the poor could go into the homes of the rich, demanding the best to drink and eat in exchange for their goodwill. — Maria Sachiko Cecire, Smithsonian Magazine, "Christmas Wasn’t Always the Kid-Friendly Gift Extravaganza We Know Today," 23 Dec. 2020 What department store clerks call every carol on the 30-minute music loop. — Washington Post, "Style Invitational Week 1416: The Year in Redo, Part 2," 23 Dec. 2020 The choir launched into the lilting carol, which sounded bright and joyful, but to Mr. Hyde’s ears there were problems. — New York Times, "A Choir Tries to Keep Its Christmas Tradition Alive," 22 Dec. 2020 Just the most beautiful carol, simple and a lovely story. — Anne Nickoloff, cleveland, "Holiday playlist: 5 local musicians share favorite festive tunes," 22 Dec. 2020 The homes are bathed in white lights and yard art depicting the verses in the traditional carol, from a partridge in a pear tree to the 12 drummers drumming. — Dallas News, "Where to find the brightest neighborhood Christmas lights in Dallas or your suburb," 11 Dec. 2020 If there’s anything that instantly puts me in the holiday spirit it’s a good old-fashioned Christmas carol. — Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, "16 Christmas Song Quotes That’ll Give You All the Warm Fuzzies," 7 Dec. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Many people carol during the holidays about receiving a partridge in a pear tree from their true love. — Los Angeles Times, "Bryan Cranston hasn’t fully recovered from COVID-19. But he knows how lucky he is," 6 Dec. 2020 Nuns have gone caroling; gospel choirs have video-harmonized. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "A Return to the Original Purpose of Music," 9 Apr. 2020 Guests were offered a variety of holiday activities from caroling and face painting, to Cy-Fair ISD choir performances and hot cocoa courtesy of Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee & Bakery. — Melanie Feuk, Houston Chronicle, "Towne Lake Boardwalk rings in holidays with annual event in Cy-Fair," 5 Dec. 2019 Windsor Castle is open to visitors for tours during the Christmas season as well as a variety of events, from caroling to arts-and-crafts—just like Queen Victoria would have done! — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "Windsor Castle's Christmas Decor Pays Homage to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert," 3 Dec. 2019 This December, Kwiecinski will oversee the latest installment of the 12 Days of Grizmas, an extended pre-Christmas celebration in downtown Detroit that includes concerts, yoga classes, caroling, and a roller disco party. — Allison Stewart, chicagotribune.com, "The wholesome EDM star Griz, who’s even playing at Chicago’s tourist-friendly Navy Pier, would kinda like to get stoned with Snoop Dogg," 4 Oct. 2019 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

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.