(1) A season of merrymaking just before Lent; an occasion for festivities and excess. (2) A traveling group that presents a variety of amusements.
Example:
Whether in Argentina, Brazil, or Trinidad, carnival is one of the most exciting events of the year, involving parades, parties, and dressing up in costume.
Just before Lent many cities hold a time of merrymaking called a carnival. The roots that apparently make up carnival mean "flesh" and "remove," anad a common result of carnival was the eating up of meat that wouldn't keep through the 40-day season of Lent, a time of fasting and self-discipline when meat was indeed removed from the table. In the Americas, carnival is most famous in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans (whose version of carnival is called Mardi Gras), but carnival takes place in most parts of the world where Lent is observed.