Dictionary

carousal en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (General-American) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /kəˈɹaʊz(ə)l/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From carouse (“to engage in a noisy or drunken social gathering”, verb) + -al (suffix forming nouns denoting actions by verbs to which it is attached), possibly also influenced by an erroneous understanding of the meaning of carousel (“merry-go-round”).

Meanings

1. (uncountable) The state of carousing; (drunken) revelry; (countable) an instance of this; a noisy social gathering, often with much alcohol consumption.
   • He mingled with the Magnates of his land; / Join'd the carousals of the great and gay, […] 1814, [Lord Byron], “[Lara, a Tale.] Canto I.”, in Lara, a Tale. Jacqueline, a Tale, London: […] [F]or J[ohn] Murray, […], [b]y T[homas] Davison, […], →OCLC, stanza VII, page 10, lines 98–99:
   • —The ſun vvas ſet—they had done their vvork; the nymphs had tied up their hair afreſh—and the ſvvains vvere preparing for a carouſal— […] 1765, [Laurence Sterne], chapter XLIV, in The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, volume VII, London: […] T. Becket and P. A. Dehondt, […], →OCLC, page 155:
   • Drawing near, / Loud from the chambers of the bridge below, / Sounds of carousal came and song, / And unveiled women bade the advancing youth / Come merry-make with them. 1801, Robert Southey, “The Sixth Book”, in Thalaba the Destroyer, volume II, London: […] [F]or T[homas] N[orton] Longman and O[wen] Rees, […], by Biggs and Cottle, […], →OCLC, page 45:
   • When Alcohol usurps the throne, and Sober Rationality is ejected, every other consideration is lost; that of having a regular 'spree' alone prevails:—the excited passions proclaim for a grand carousal. 1848, J[ohn] Cowen, “Notes to Part First”, in The First and Last Days of Alcohol the Great, in the Empire of Nationolia: Or, Manxman’s Records of the Temperance Revolution, Providence, R.I.: B. T. Albro […], →OCLC, pages 56–57:
   • The earth-spirit of Tema, who loved carousals, heard from afar the songs and laughter of the people on Nassau. 1929 July, Robert Dean Frisbie, “Tata and Toto”, in The Book of Puka-Puka, New York, N.Y.; London: The Century Co., →OCLC, section II, page 293:

Forms

Synonyms

revel · carouse · carousing · spree

Translations (26)

ru пирушка (state of carousing; instance of this) · vi cuộc nhậu (state of carousing; instance of this) · fi juomingit (state of carousing; instance of this) · fr beuverie (state of carousing; instance of this) · bg гуляй (state of carousing; instance of this) · sv supkalas (state of carousing; instance of this) · gl gandaina (state of carousing; instance of this) · ru попойка (state of carousing; instance of this) · cs pitka (state of carousing; instance of this) · bg запой (state of carousing; instance of this) · rsk лумпованє (state of carousing; instance of this) · gl xolda (state of carousing; instance of this) · la bacchātiō (state of carousing; instance of this) · gl esmorga (state of carousing; instance of this) · cs pijatyka (state of carousing; instance of this) · gl foliada (state of carousing; instance of this) · gl troula (state of carousing; instance of this) · cs pařba (state of carousing; instance of this) · gl farra (state of carousing; instance of this) · de Gelage (state of carousing; instance of this) · grc κῶμος (state of carousing; instance of this) · mk пи́јанка (state of carousing; instance of this) · rsk мулатшаґ (state of carousing; instance of this) · sv fyllefest (state of carousing; instance of this) · gl parranda (state of carousing; instance of this) · rsk мулатованє (state of carousing; instance of this)