carol definition - Dictionary

Dictionary

car·ol [ kárrəl ]

noun (plural car·ols)

Definition:

joyful hymn: a joyful religious song or hymn, especially a Christian song celebrating Christmas

verb (past and past participle car·oled, present participle car·ol·ing, 3rd person present singular car·ols)

Definition:

1. intransitive verb sing Christmas songs: to sing hymns that celebrate Christmas, especially as a group going from house to house

2. transitive and intransitive verb sing something joyously: to sing or call out something in a joyful and lively way ( literary )

The sun shone, and the birds were caroling.

[13th century. < Old French carole]

car·ol·er noun

Cultural Note


	A Christmas Carol, a novella (1843) by Charles Dickens. It recounts the story of an avaricious merchant, Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come. Confronted by the effects of his miserly behavior on others, Scrooge resolves to become a more generous and charitable person. Over time, the name Scrooge has come to mean a petty malicious miser.