# carol

/ˈkæɹəɫ/ (US) · /kˈæɹəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/carol
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. Christmas song

noun · CEFR B1

a traditional religious or happy song that people sing at Christmas.

For teachers: a traditional festive song, typically religious in nature and associated with the Christmas season.

- The children stood in the snow and sang a beautiful Christmas carol.
- The choir performed a selection of medieval carols, highlighting the evolution of liturgical music during the festive period.

### 2. to sing Christmas songs

verb · CEFR B2

to go from house to house singing Christmas songs in a group.

For teachers: to perform carols in a group, especially as a seasonal activity involving visiting different locations.

- We spent the evening caroling around the neighborhood to raise money for charity.
- Local residents have a long-standing tradition of caroling through the village square on Christmas Eve, regardless of the weather conditions.

### 3. to sing joyfully

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary

to sing in a very happy and cheerful way.

For teachers: to sing or utter something in a cheerful, lively, or jubilant manner.

- The birds were caroling in the trees on that bright spring morning.
- She caroled her greetings to the guests, her voice ringing with a genuine warmth that put everyone at ease immediately.

### 4. monastery study space

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Archaic

a small, private space for studying built into the window of a monastery.

For teachers: a small enclosure or desk-like cubicle built into the cloisters of a monastery to provide a quiet study area.

- The monk sat in his stone carol to read the ancient books.
- Architectural historians noted the preservation of the stone carols along the south wall of the cloister, where monks once engaged in silent study.

## Examples

- The children sang a Christmas carol for their parents.
- Every December, the local choir visits the hospital to sing traditional carols for the patients and staff.
- While many modern carols focus on secular holiday themes, the oldest examples in the English tradition were strictly devotional hymns intended for communal worship during the Nativity.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.