Definition

1. Noun:

   • A joyful song, typically celebrating the birth of Christ: A "carol" is a festive song, often with a religious theme, traditionally sung during the Christmas season.
   • A joyful religious song: More broadly, it can refer to any song of joy or praise, especially one of a religious nature.

2. Verb:

   • To sing carols, especially in a group outdoors: The act of singing festive songs, particularly Christmas carols, often while going from house to house.

Examples

• Noun:

  • "Silent Night" is a famous Christmas carol.
  • The children practiced a joyful carol for the school concert.

• Verb:

  • Every December, the choir goes to carol in the town square.
  • We will carol at the nursing home to spread some holiday cheer.

Advanced Usage

• "To go caroling": The activity of moving from place to place while singing carols.

  • They spent the evening going caroling in their neighborhood.

• "A carol service": A church service or concert featuring the singing of carols.

  • We attended the annual carol service at the cathedral.

Variants and Related Words

• Caroler / Caroler (n): A person who sings carols.
  • The carolers' voices sounded beautiful in the cold night air.

Synonyms

• Noun: Hymn, chant, noel, Christmas song.
• Verb: Sing, chant, warble.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Carol out: To sing carols loudly or openly.
  • The children caroled out their favorite songs with great enthusiasm.

Related Idioms

• "Deck the halls with boughs of holly...": This is the opening line of a well-known Christmas carol, often used to evoke the spirit of the season.
  • As soon as we heard "Deck the halls," we knew the caroling had begun.

Noun

1. a joyful song (usually celebrating the birth of Christ)
2. joyful religious song celebrating the birth of Christ

Verb

1. sing carols
   • They went caroling on Christmas Day