Carollers

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. People who engage in the act of singing joyful tunes for others, particularly during the winter celebrations
2. Groups or soloists who perform seasonal songs in public to bring happiness, especially during the holidays
3. Individuals who perform cheerful songs associated with holiday celebrations

Etymology: The word "carol" has a surprising past: it originally meant a circle dance, with singing added as an accompaniment. Medieval French "carole" referred to a ring dance, and the song was what people sang while moving in that circle. Over time the dance dropped away and the singing took over, so the sense narrowed to the songs themselves. "Caroller" is simply that noun with the agent suffix "-er" added, so it names someone who carols. The suffix came into English from Old English "-ere", a form of the Latin "-arius" that passed through Old French "-ier" and gave English countless words for people who do a particular activity.

Synonyms: singers, performers