carousel
noun
carousel
1 American
[kar-uh-sel, kar-uh-sel]
/ ˌkær əˈsɛl, ˈkær əˌsɛl /
Sometimes
carrousel
noun
-
carousels
plural
-
a continuously revolving belt, track or other device on which items are placed for later retrieval.
a baggage carousel at an airport.
Carousel
2
American
[kar-uh-sel, kar-uh-sel]
/ ˌkær əˈsɛl, ˈkær əˌsɛl /
Trademark.
carousel
British
/ ˌkærəˈsɛl, -ˈzɛl /
noun
-
a circular magazine in which slides for a projector are held: it moves round as each slide is shown
-
a rotating conveyor belt for luggage, as at an airport
-
Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): merry-go-round. roundabout. a revolving circular platform provided with wooden animals, seats, etc, on which people ride for amusement
-
history a tournament in which horsemen took part in races and various manoeuvres in formation
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of carousel
First recorded in 1640–50; from French: “kind of tournament,” from Italian carosello “kind of ball game,” from Neapolitan dialect carusello “game played with clay balls, clay ball,” literally, “little head,” equivalent to carus(o) “shorn head” (perhaps based on the Greek stem kors- “shave”) + -ello diminutive suffix
Explanation
A carousel is a circular, rotating amusement ride with seats for children. Do you like roller coasters or is the carousel more your speed? If you’re at a carnival, a carousel probably has fake horses. But if you’re at an airport, the carousel is a conveyor belt that carries luggage (no horses). Carousel was originally the name of an event at tournaments of 16th century knights. In the carousel, knights would charge, full speed on ornately decorated horses, trying to put the tip of their lance through a golden ring. This carousel was inspired by Middle Eastern games witnessed by knights in the Crusades.
Vocabulary lists containing carousel
Brown Girl Dreaming
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Love from A to Z
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
So they set their sights on the top prize on the coaching carousel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
Maldonado’s jerseys are sourced from Santee Alley and are modified with paint using a rotating screen printing carousel with personalized screens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
The carousel of leaders has taken its toll, driving up borrowing costs and dragging down investment.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
There’s also been a carousel of leadership changes before Frank Bisignano, commissioner of the Social Security Administration, was tapped as CEO for the IRS.
From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026
Through a breezeway came the buzz of tourists, the carousel cranking out its song.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Carousel finds her tentatively revealing flaws to a new lover.
From BBC ● May 2, 2026
Carousel horses and toy planes fill the children’s floor airspace.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2025
The Central Park carousel, officially known as the Michael Friedsam Memorial Carousel, was also operated by the Trump Organization; the name “Trump Carousel” also disappeared from that attraction in 2019.
From Slate ● Feb. 21, 2024
A former high school teacher, Mr. Holzman was the head carver and fund-raiser of the Empire State Carousel, a whimsical and educational reminder of state fairs and carnivals past.
From New York Times ● Dec. 29, 2023
At first everything is normal, but then this old TV character, Carousel Carl, pops up at the control panel.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
This update incentivized lengthy carousels of multi-image posts, especially with some educational content attached that encourages viewer engagement via swipes or saves.
From Slate ● Aug. 28, 2026
Baggage claim carousels will move from outdoors to indoors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Facebook pings me with “memories”: photo carousels of my adult daughter and me on a beach or posing for goofy selfies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
She took to the stage dressed as a stewardess, dancing across luggage carousels and navigating male dancers dressed as baggage handlers.
From BBC ● Feb. 1, 2026
They were too boisterous to miss, loitering around one of the baggage carousels, laughing and talking as if they’d known one another for years.
From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
