carol

[ kar-uhl ]
See synonyms for carol on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a song, especially of joy.

  2. a Christmas song or hymn.

  1. a seat in a bay window or oriel.

  2. a compartment in a cloister, similar to a carrel.

  3. a kind of circular dance.

verb (used without object),car·oled, car·ol·ing or (especially British) car·olled, car·ol·ling.
  1. to sing Christmas songs or hymns, especially in a group performing in a public place or going from house to house.

  2. to sing, especially in a lively, joyous manner; warble.

verb (used with object),car·oled, car·ol·ing or (especially British) car·olled, car·ol·ling.
  1. to sing joyously.

  2. to praise or celebrate in song.

Origin of carol

1
1250–1300; Middle English carole ring, circle (of stones), enclosed place for study (see carrel), ringdance with song (hence, song) <Anglo-French carole,Old French *corole (compare Old Provençal corola), apparently <Latin corolla garland (see corolla), conflated with Latin choraula<Greek choraúlēs piper for choral dance, equivalent to chor(ós) chorus + -aulēs, derivative of aulós pipe

Other words from carol

  • car·ol·er; especially British, car·ol·ler, noun
  • outcarol, verb (used with object), out·car·oled, out·car·ol·ing or (especially British) out·car·olled, out·car·ol·ling.
  • un·car·oled, adjective
  • un·car·olled, adjective

Other definitions for Carol (2 of 3)

Carol
[ kar-uhl ]

noun
  1. a male or female given name.

Other definitions for Carol. (3 of 3)

Carol.

abbreviation
  1. Carolingian.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use carol in a sentence

  • Presumably with caroling, though presumably not with “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.”

    Keep Christmas Commercialized! | P. J. O’Rourke | December 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Almost instantly the birds of the forest darted hither and thither, caroling forth in gladsome strains.

    The Fifth String   | John Philip Sousa
  • The rippling golden tones made me think of the caroling of birds on a spring morning.

  • Birds were caroling all sorts of joyous tunes and the tree twigs were gaily dancing.

    A Modern Cinderella | Amanda M. Douglas
  • One young Indian woman was also frolicking among them, tossing an infant in her arms, caroling and playing with it.

    Malaeska | Ann S. Stephens
  • At the same moment, advancing towards them came the sound of Rachel's voice caroling an old English song.

British Dictionary definitions for carol

carol

/ (ˈkærəl) /


noun
  1. a joyful hymn or religious song, esp one (a Christmas carol) celebrating the birth of Christ

  2. archaic an old English circular dance

verb-ols, -olling or -olled or US -ols, -oling or -oled
  1. (intr) to sing carols at Christmas

  2. to sing (something) in a joyful manner

Origin of carol

1
C13: from Old French, of uncertain origin

Derived forms of carol

  • caroler or caroller, noun
  • caroling or carolling, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012