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

For mainstream buyers seeking a capable 16-inch system, the key is timing—Dell’s ever-spinning carousel of deals can turn this safe bet into a standout value, earning it our Editors' Choice award for midrange desktop replacements. —Charles Jefferies, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2025

One riverfront photo — the first in the carousel — even showed Bersten and Slater packing on the PDA with a kiss in the water. —Alyssa Davis, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2025

In addition to live shots, the carousel also featured a snap of the band’s new lineup, with Rubin pictured hanging out backstage with singer/guitarist Dave Grohl, guitarists Pat Smear and Chris Shiflett, bassist Nate Mendel and keyboard player Rami Jaffee. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2025

If your child ever sits with you and a therapist and says parts of childhood were rough, the right answer is not to pull up a carousel on your phone. —Robyn Koslowitz, Parents, 16 Sep. 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