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
b
: a circular conveyor
the luggage carousel at the airport
c
: a revolving case or tray used for storage or display
mer·ry-go-round
ˈmer-ē-gō-ˌrau̇nd
-gə-
1
a
: an amusement park ride with seats often in the form of animals (such as horses) revolving about a fixed center
The children grabbed each other by the hand and danced off in the direction of the merry-go-round, toward the wonderful music and the wonderful adventure and the wonderful excitement …—E. B. White
called also carousel
b
: a children's playground apparatus consisting of a platform that revolves about a fixed center
And every day at recess, Reuben would push us on the merry-go-round on the playground. He would push us really fast, and we all thought Reuben made recess great fun—as long as we held on tight and didn't fall off as we whirled around.—Terri Auchter
2
: a cycle of activity that is complex, fast-paced, or difficult to break out of
the corporate merry-go-round
Cite this Entry
“Carousel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carousel. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.
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