noel

noun

no·el | \ nō-ˈel

How to pronounce noel (audio)

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Definition of noel

1 : a Christmas carol The choir sang noels during the Christmas season.

2 capitalized : christmas wished his friends a joyous Noel

Did You Know?

English speakers borrowed the word noel from French. It can be traced further back to the Latin word natalis, which can mean "birthday" as a noun or "of or relating to birth" as an adjective. (The English adjective natal has the same meaning and is also an offspring of natalis.). Noels were being sung in Latin or French for centuries before the word found its way into our language in the 1800s. The earliest known musical use of noel occurred in the text of a Christmas motet called "Nova vobis gaudia," which was written in the 1400s.

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Cite this Entry

“Noel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/noel. Accessed 6 May. 2021.

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More Definitions for noel

noel

noun

no·el | \ nō-ˈel

\

Kids Definition of noel

1 : a Christmas carol

2 capitalized : the Christmas season

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