carnival
car·ni·val [carnival carnivals] BrE [ˈkɑːnɪvl] NAmE [ˈkɑːrnɪvl] noun
1. countable, uncountable a public festival, usually one that happens at a regular time each year, that involves music and dancing in the streets, for which people wear brightly coloured clothes
•There is a local carnival every year.
•the carnival in Rio
•a carnival atmosphere
2. countable (NAmE) = ↑fair n. (1)
3. (NAmE) (BrE fete, fair)countable an outdoor entertainment at which people can play games to win prizes, buy food and drink, etc, usually arranged to make money for a special purpose
4. singular ~ of sth (formal)an exciting or brightly coloured mixture of things
•this summer's carnival of sport
See also: ↑fair ▪ ↑fete
Word Origin:
mid 16th cent.: from Italian carnevale, carnovale, from medieval Latin carnelevamen, carnelevarium ‘Shrovetide’, from Latin caro, carn- ‘flesh’ + levare ‘put away’.
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