Dictionary
car•ni•val
Pronunciation: (kär'nu-vul), [key]—
n.
1. a traveling amusement show, having sideshows, rides, etc.
2. any merrymaking, revelry, or festival, as a program of sports or entertainment:
a winter carnival.
3. the season immediately preceding Lent, often observed with merrymaking; Shrovetide.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.