carousal

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”).^[1]

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /kəˈɹaʊz(ə)l/

• Audio (Southern England):

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• Audio (General American):

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• Rhymes: -aʊzəl
• Hyphenation: car‧ous‧al

carousal (countable and uncountable, plural carousals)

1. (uncountable) The state of carousing; (drunken) revelry; (countable) an instance of this; a noisy social gathering, often with much alcohol consumption.

   Synonyms: carouse, carousing, (dated) spree, revel (often in the plural)

   • 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:

     —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— […]

   • 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:

     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.

   • 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:

     He mingled with the Magnates of his land; / Join'd the carousals of the great and gay, […]

   • 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:

     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.

   • 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:

     The earth-spirit of Tema, who loved carousals, heard from afar the songs and laughter of the people on Nassau.

Not to be confused with carousel (“merry-go-round”).

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