Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

carousel

/ˌkæɹəˈsɛl/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.21 in modern English

Syllables: carousel
IPA: /ˌkæɹəˈsɛl/

10

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A pleasure ride, typically found at amusement parks and fairs and accompanied by music, consisting of a slowly revolving circular platform on which are fixed various seats, frequently shaped like horses or other animals, cars, etc., which may also move up and down; a merry-go-round.

noun

A revolving device for item delivery or display.

noun

The rotating glass plate in a microwave oven.

noun

A visual component that displays a horizontal series of items one at a time.

noun

An equestrian discipline in which groups of riders make various formations.

noun

A tilting match or tournament accompanied by games, shows, and allegorical performances.

noun

Synonym of jukebox (“automated carousel for the storage and retrieval of tapes, CD-ROMs, etc.”).

verb

To revolve or change places.

Example Sentences

"That's one nice thing about carrousels,^([sic]) they always play the same song."
"After collecting his suitcase at the baggage carousel, he left the airport."
"It struck me as a perky, whine-free name—the kind of standard-issue handle that could be found on necklaces hanging off carousels in roadside souvenir shops, next to the saltwater taffy."

Etymology

From French carrousel, from Italian carosello, from Sicilian caruseḍḍu and/or Neapolitan carusiello. Uncertain. Some suggested a derivation from carro (“cart”), from Latin carrus, but this does not fit the criteria of an appropriate morphological reconstruction. Not believed to be related to carousal.

Origin

Source language: French

Word Breakdown

Root: *ḱers-, carrousel, carosello, caruseḍḍu, carusiello, carrus

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌkæɹəˈsɛl/
British English: /ˌkærəˈsɛl/

Inflected Forms

carousels (plural) carrousel (alternative) carousels (present, singular) carouseling (US, participle) carouselling (UK, participle) carouseled (US, participle) carouseled (US, past) carouselled (UK, participle) carouselled (UK, past)

Phrases

baggage carousel carousel fraud carousel trade carousel voting ice carousel ride the cock carousel

Frequently Paired Words

whirligig

Synonyms

giddy-go-round merry-go-around merry-go-whirl roundabout whirligig jukebox carrousel merry-go-round

Rhymes With

carrousel

Questions

How do you pronounce carousel?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌkæɹəˈsɛl/.
What does carousel mean?: A pleasure ride, typically found at amusement parks and fairs and accompanied by music, consisting of a slowly revolving circular platform on which are fixed various seats, frequently shaped like horses or other animals, cars, etc., which may also move up and down; a merry-go-round.
Where does carousel come from?: It is traced to French.

How to pronounce carousel

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “carousel”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌkæɹəˈsɛl/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “carousel”.
Repeat and practice — Say “carousel” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.