carousel

noun

car·​ou·​sel ˌker-ə-ˈsel How to pronounce carousel (audio)
ˌka-rə-
also
-ˈzel How to pronounce carousel (audio) ˈker-ə-ˌsel How to pronounce carousel (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The last slide of the carousel features a video of himself rocking a sleeping newborn. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026 This week in SoCal theme parks The Griffith Park carousel will spin again. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 Admission includes access to the park’s rides and attractions, including the replica steam-engine train, hay wagons, carousel and ponies. — David Sharos, Chicago Tribune, 13 Oct. 2026 On Sunday, the business posted a multi-slide carousel to the store’s Instagram account sharing their side of the story. — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for carousel

Word History

Etymology

French carrousel, from Italian carosello

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of carousel was in 1650

Rhymes for carousel

See All Rhymes for carousel

Browse Nearby Words

carouse
carousel
carouser
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Carousel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carousel. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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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
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