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 Victorian friends and family return to put us in the holiday mood with carols, then start the story that unfolds before our eyes. — Renee Valois, Twin Cities, "Review: CTC’s ‘Cinderella’ is a crazily bipolar world … with Minnesota jokes!," 10 Nov. 2019 Audience will join Chorale and sing traditional carols for the truest wraparound sound coupled with a heartwarming sense of community and collective effort. — Maria Shine Stewart, cleveland, "November is chilly but community is not: Sun Messages," 2 Nov. 2019 In fact, John's reimagined carols became so popular that fans have been begging him for months to record more. — Kelly O'sullivan, Country Living, "John Legend Shared a Cryptic Tweet About Kelly Clarkson and It Turned Out to Be True," 28 Oct. 2019 Her sultry midwest charm makes the East St. Louis, Illinois native just as appealing as her touching carols. — Nandi Howard, Essence, "New Wave: Layton Greene Stops By ESSENCE HQ," 25 Oct. 2019 The intimate tour will feature Christmas carols, photos with Santa and Christmas cookies. — Taylor Mims, Billboard, "Chris Tomlin Announces 2019 Christmas Tour," 10 Sep. 2019 With Tom’s help, Kate begins to ditch her cynicism and embrace the spirit of the holidays, which includes singing carols in public, volunteering at a homeless shelter, skating under holiday lights, and kissing Henry Golding. — Kara Nesvig, Teen Vogue, "Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding in New "Last Christmas" Trailer Are Holiday Rom-Com Couple Goals," 14 Aug. 2019 On board, Santa Claus and his helpers stroll through the train cars singing carols and sharing holiday tales. — Marlisse Cepeda, Country Living, "7 Christmas Train Rides That Will Make Your Holidays Merrier," 10 Sep. 2019 Inside, the Houston children’s choir sang carols on a curved staircase. — Kashmir Hill, The New Yorker, "The Perils of Semi-Legal Poker," 8 Sep. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Visitors can also enjoy historic house tours, caroling and holiday readings. — Brigit Katz, Smithsonian, "A Victorian Property Featured in an Iconic Norman Rockwell Painting Is Now on Sale," 7 Nov. 2019 Happy Socks carries a huge selection of patterns and themes, so if your guy is more into cooking than caroling, there's a sock pattern that's sure to fit his particular style. — Anna Heyman, USA TODAY, "The 20 best Christmas gifts for dads and husbands," 29 Oct. 2019 And obviously the movie starts with them caroling and cutting down the tree and bringing it to the house. — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, "We Can't Believe We Never Noticed This Weird Thing About 'Christmas Vacation'," 15 Dec. 2017 This 19th-century celebration of Christmas will feature storytelling, live performances by holiday characters, horsedrawn bobsled rides, caroling, food sampling and a visit with Santa. — Amy Schwabe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Weekend guide: "The Nutcracker" opening, Dickens of a Day, holiday animation and more," 6 Dec. 2017 Celebrate the birth of a Brit Lit great with a brooding stroll across England’s moor country, or carol your way through a not-so-silent night in Austria’s Salzburg region this Christmas to celebrate 200 years of a world-famous hymn. — Ryan P. Smith, Smithsonian, "Ten Major Anniversaries Worth Traveling For This Year," 30 Jan. 2018 If the temperature doesn't drop into the single digits, the party may continue in the form of caroling around a few neighborhoods. — Liz Matthews, Town & Country, "Local Holiday Color," 19 Dec. 2013 Mr. Pintard, Mr. Goldstein said, was upset by the rowdy and boozy celebrations held around Christmas by farm hands indulging in caroling sessions. — Corey Kilgannon, New York Times, "Santa’s a New Yorker. You Got a Problem With That?," 15 Dec. 2016 She and Kirsten met thirteen years ago, at the Christmas-carolling party of a mutual friend. — Adam Davidson, The New Yorker, "The Prairie Wife," 13 Feb. 2017

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.