carousel

noun

car·​ou·​sel ˌker-ə-ˈsel 

ˌka-rə-

also

-ˈzel  ˈker-ə-ˌsel 

ˈka-rə-

variants or less commonly carrousel

1

: a tournament or exhibition in which horsemen execute evolutions

2

a

: merry-go-round

b

: a circular conveyor

the luggage carousel at the airport

c

: a revolving case or tray used for storage or display

Examples of carousel in a Sentence

He loves to ride on the carousel at the park.

the luggage carousel at the airport

a CD player with a six-disk carousel

Recent Examples on the Web

The holiday installation features Christmas lighting displays, Santa Claus, a Christmas train, holiday craft-making, a carousel and an opportunity to sled down a hill made of real snow. —Abby Hamblin, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Dec. 2025

Other photos in the carousel offer a glimpse into the press tour and Chalamet's personal life. —Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025

Others make use of the pedals under the mermaid to propel the carousel in a circular motion. —Siobhan Morrissey, Miami Herald, 3 Dec. 2025

In Ocean City, 600 Boardwalk is owned by Mita and zoned for amusements and home to the Ferris Wheel and historic carousel. —Joe Brandt, CBS News, 3 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French carrousel, from Italian carosello

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for carousel

• bagatelle
• caravel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal
• decibel
• demoiselle
• fontanelle
• infidel
• isabel
• machiavel

Kids Definition

carousel

noun

car·​ou·​sel

variants also carrousel

ˌkar-ə-ˈsel

also -ˈzel;

ˈkar-ə-ˌsel

also -ˌzel

: merry-go-round sense 1