carousel

noun

car·​ou·​sel ˌker-ə-ˈsel 

ˌka-rə-,

also

-ˈzel  ˈker-ə-ˌsel 

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

This division saw three teams win 11 games last season, and the bottom-dweller Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson, the hottest name in the coaching carousel the past two cycles. —Austin Mock, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025

Kalen DeBoer’s first trip to the Plains with Alabama could have big playoff implications for the Tide and be a pivotal game for Freeze if his name is swirling in the coaching carousel. —Marc Weiszer, The Tennessean, 19 Aug. 2025

Kevin, 46, shared a carousel of images on Instagram featuring his wife's birthday festivities and their ocean escapades. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 19 Aug. 2025

On Friday, the 27-year-old actress, who has not publicly commented on the ad or its mixed reception, shared a carousel of photos on Instagram in which she was seen rocking a pair of oversized blue jeans and a white lace-front crop top while spending a night out at a bar with friends. —Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French carrousel, from Italian carosello

First Known Use

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for carousel

• bagatelle
• caravel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal
• decibel
• demoiselle
• fontanelle
• infidel
• isabel
• machiavel

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