carousel
UK: ˌkærəˈsel | US: ˈkærəˌsel
n. a merry-go-round at a fair or amusement park
n. a rotating device for delivering items, such as luggage at an airport
n. a continuous cycle or succession of events
carousel = carous<festive drink> + el<noun suffix>
- carous<festive drink>: From French carrousel, originally referring to a type of festive tournament with horsemen, later associated with merry-go-rounds. The root traces back to Italian carosello (a tournament) and possibly Arabic kurradj (a small war).
- el<noun suffix>: A diminutive or instrumental suffix in Romance languages, here forming a noun.
Etymology Origin:
The word carousel evolved from a 17th-century French term for a jousting tournament (carrousel), where knights rode in circles. Over time, it came to describe the decorative merry-go-rounds mimicking these events. The modern sense of a rotating platform (e.g., luggage carousel) emerged in the 20th century, extending the circular motion metaphor.
The children laughed as they rode the carousel at the summer fair.
Passengers waited anxiously by the luggage carousel for their bags.
The project became a carousel of meetings without progress.
The festival featured a historic carousel with hand-painted horses.
She felt dizzy after spinning on the carousel for too long.