Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Carnival \Car"ni*val\, n. [It. carnevale, prob. for older
   carnelevale, prop., the putting away of meat; fr. L. caro,
   carnis, flesh + levare to take away, lift up, fr. levis
   light.]
   1. A festival celebrated with merriment and revelry in Roman
      Gatholic countries during the week before Lent, esp. at
      Rome and Naples, during a few days (three to ten) before
      Lent, ending with Shrove Tuesday.

            The carnival at Venice is everywhere talked of.
                                                  --Addison.

   2. Any merrymaking, feasting, or masquerading, especially
      when overstepping the bounds of decorum; a time of riotous
      excess. --Tennyson.

            He saw the lean dogs beneath the wall Hold o'er the
            dead their carnival                   --Byron.

Source : WordNet®

carnival
     n 1: a festival marked by merrymaking and processions
     2: a frenetic disorganized (and often comic) disturbance
        suggestive of a circus or carnival; "it was so funny it
        was a circus"; "the whole occasion had a carnival
        atmosphere" [syn: {circus}]
     3: a traveling show; having sideshows and rides and games of
        skill etc. [syn: {fair}, {funfair}]