carousel

IPA/ˌkær.əˈsel/
KK[kˈɛrəsˌɛl]IPA/ˌker.əˈsel/

carousel — noun

  • carouselsingular
  • carouselsplural

1. a ride at a fair or theme park that goes round while people sit on painted anima

1.nounB2
Definition

a ride at a fair or theme park that goes round while people sit on painted animals or small vehicles.

Example

Lucía chose the blue horse on the carousel and waved at her father.

choose a horse on the carousel

At the summer fair, Feng rode the carousel twice before trying the bumper cars.

ride the carousel at a fair

Common collocations
  • ride the carousel
  • carousel horse
  • carousel music
  • step off the carousel
Synonyms
  • merry-go-round

    very close in meaning and often interchangeable, especially in American English

  • roundabout

    mainly British and slightly less common for the ride

Grammar Patterns

ride the carousel

go on the carousel

carousel horse / carousel seat

Usage Note

Common with verbs such as 'ride', 'get on', and 'step off'. Distinguish from sense 2: this sense is the amusement ride itself, not the airport belt for luggage.

Common Mistakes

The children played the carousel after lunch.
The children rode the carousel after lunch.
English usually says you 'ride' a carousel.

2. a moving round belt at an airport where checked bags are brought out for passeng

2.nounB2
Definition

a moving round belt at an airport where checked bags are brought out for passengers to collect.

Example

Walid spotted his green suitcase first when the baggage carousel started moving.

baggage carousel started moving

An airline worker placed two broken strollers beside the carousel for special pickup.

beside the carousel for pickup

Common collocations
  • baggage carousel
  • carousel 6
  • bags come off the carousel
  • stand by the carousel
Synonyms
  • baggage belt

    plain travel term that stresses the belt itself

  • conveyor belt

    broader machine term that is less specific to airports

Grammar Patterns

wait by carousel + number

the baggage carousel starts moving

bags come off the carousel

Usage Note

Most common in airport English and often appears with 'baggage', 'luggage', or a carousel number. Unlike sense 1, this sense refers to equipment for collecting bags, not an amusement ride.

Common Mistakes

We waited our bags in carousel 4.
We waited for our bags at carousel 4.
people wait for bags at a carousel; they do not wait them in it.

3. a round tray, originally sold under a brand name, that holds photographic slides

3.nounC1
Definition

a round tray, originally sold under a brand name, that holds photographic slides for a projector.

Example

The teacher slid the last photo into the carousel before dimming the classroom lights.

slide a photo into the carousel

Reuben found an old carousel of family holiday slides in the attic.

a carousel of slides

Common collocations
  • slide carousel
  • load the carousel
  • carousel projector
  • carousel of slides
Synonyms
  • slide tray

    plain descriptive term without the brand-name history

Grammar Patterns

load slides into the carousel

the carousel fits onto the projector

remove the carousel from the projector

Usage Note

This sense appears mostly in older classroom, museum, or photography contexts and often with 'slide' or 'projector'. It is much rarer than senses 1 and 2.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For sense 1, 'carousel' is the neutral word for the circular ride with horses or other seats that moves around on a flat platform. 'Merry-go-round' is very close and is often interchangeable, especially in American English, though it can sound slightly more child-focused or old-fashioned. A 'Ferris wheel' is a different ride because people sit in hanging cars on a tall wheel that turns vertically. A 'roller coaster' is different again because it runs along tracks with drops and sharp turns. If a child wants the gentle ride with music and painted animals, 'carousel' or 'merry-go-round' is the natural choice.

merry-go-roundFerris wheelroller coaster

Etymology

ItalianFrenchEnglish

'Carousel' came into English through French 'carrousel', a word first used for a riding display or mock tournament. The French form is linked to Italian 'carosello', which referred to a festive horseback event. Over time, the word moved from the horse show itself to the circular fairground ride with carved animals, and later it was extended to other round moving systems such as airport baggage belts and slide trays.

First known use

1650

1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1