carl
carl
1 American
[kahrl]
/ kɑrl /
Or
carle
noun
-
Scot.
-
a strong, robust fellow, especially a strong manual laborer.
-
a miser; an extremely thrifty person.
-
-
Archaic. a churl.
-
Obsolete. a bondman.
Carl
2
American
[kahrl]
/ kɑrl /
noun
carl
British
/ kɑːl /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of carl
before 1000 (in compounds; see housecarl); Middle English; Old English -carl < Old Norse karl man; cognate with Old High German karl; akin to churl
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Yer'll stop along of me till I kin carl my ringolets myself.
From A Sheaf of Corn by Mary E. Mann
In thee will Ornulf find a stout carl, or I mistake me.
From The Vikings of Helgeland The Prose Dramas Of Henrik Ibsen, Vol. III. by Henrik Ibsen
Thou wert quite another carl when the robbers were seized by thee in Daugberg quarry.
From The Childhood of King Erik Menved An Historical Romance by Bernhard Severin Ingemann
He is a daring carl, and, it is said, knows something more than his paternoster.
From The Childhood of King Erik Menved An Historical Romance by Bernhard Severin Ingemann
Now this I must say, that thou dost not look exactly the kind of carl who should woo a jarl's daughter.
From The Childhood of King Erik Menved An Historical Romance by Bernhard Severin Ingemann
The rapid fall has come as a shock to Germany, a nation that has regarded itself as a key player ever since Carl Benz invented the motor car in 1886.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
Carl Palmer, drummer with groups Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Asia, said: "The drummers all over the UK owe you a lot for opening the door for all of us."
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
War is the continuation of politics by other means, Carl von Clausewitz said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
“I’ve heard stories that people are getting off the planes and literally sprinting down the runway for their lives,” said Carl Ruby, a pastor at the Central Christian Church of Springfield.
From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026
“I feel sorry for your mom,” I told Carl.
From "Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
