Definition of "carroll"

The humane mortals want their winter heereNo night is now with hymme or carroll bleſt;Therefore the Moone (the gouerneſſe of floods)Pale in her anger, waſhes all the aire;That Rheumaticke diſeaſes do abound.

c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, […], published 1600, [Act II, scene i]

Carolle: f[eminine]. A kind of daunce wherein many daunce together; alſo, a Carroll, or Chriſtmas ſong.

1632, Randle Cotgrave, Robert Sherwood, “Carolle”, in A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues. Compiled by Randle Cotgrave. Wherevnto is also Annexed a Most Copious Dictionarie, of the English Set before the French. By R[obert] S[herwood,] L[ondoner], London: Printed by Adam Islip

And when the ſtubborne ſtroke of ſtronger ſtounds,Has ſomewhat ſlackt the tenor of thy ſtring;Of loue and luſtihead tho maiſt thou ſing,And carroll lowde, and leade the Millers rounde, [...]

1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “October. Aegloga Decima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […]; republished as The Shepheardes Calender […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe for Iohn Harrison the yonger, […], 1586, folio 41, recto

[S]till ſhe [Sabrina, a water nymph] retainesHer maiden gentleneſſe, and oft at eveViſits the heards along the twilight meadows,Helping all urchin blaſts, and ill lucke ſignes,That the ſhrewd medling elfe delights to make,Which ſhe with precious viol'd liquors heales;For which the ſhepheards at their feſtivallsCarroll her goodneſſe lowd in ruſticke layes,And throw ſweet garland wreaths into her ſtreameOf pancies, pinks, and gaudie daffadills.

1634 October 9 (first performance), [John Milton], edited by H[enry] Lawes, A Maske Presented at Ludlow Castle, 1634: […], London: […] [Augustine Matthews] for Hvmphrey Robinson, […], published 1637; reprinted as Comus: […] (Dodd, Mead & Company’s Facsimile Reprints of Rare Books; Literature Series; no. I), New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1903, page 29, lines 842–851

Now Sol hath ſcap't the Oxes horn,The Ram, the winds, the ſtormes, and harms;The loving Twins by Leda born,Will entertain him in their arms.And Flora ſmiles to feel thoſe beamsWhich whilom were with-drawn ſo long.The pratling birds, the purling ſtreamsDo carroll forth her wedding ſong.

1656, T. S., “The Third Month Called May hath xxxj Dayes”, in An Almanack for the Year of Our Lord 1656. Being First after Leap Year; and from the Creation 5588. [...] Calculated for the Longitude of 315 gr: and 42 gr: 30 min. of N. Lat: and may Generally Serve for the Most Part of New England, Cambridge, Mass.: Printed by Samuel Green