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

Turn a carousel into a newsletter issue. —Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026

Opened in the ’80s and lovingly restored in recent years, the park still holds a timeless charm of bright lights, rides, and carousel music that carries into the night. —Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 May 2026

The last snap in the carousel was the expectant parents making the same hand motion, which Palvin echoed in the comments. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 14 May 2026

The book is a mess of vignettes, a carousel of slides that’s been overturned. —Literary Hub, 14 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

French carrousel, from Italian carosello

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for carousel

• bagatelle
• calomel
• caravel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal
• coronel
• decibel
• demoiselle
• fontanelle
• hydrocele

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