What does carrell mean?
A carrell (more commonly spelled "carrel") is a small, individual study space in a library — typically a desk, often with partitions or shelving that give the reader privacy. Found throughout academic and public libraries, carrells are prized by students and researchers who need a quiet, semi-permanent place to work, and many institutions allow readers to reserve them for extended periods. The word's history stretches back to the Middle Ages, when monks withdrew to small enclosures called carrels in monastery cloisters to read and copy manuscripts, making the term a direct linguistic link between medieval scholarship and the modern library. Today the word is used almost exclusively in academic contexts and usually appears in the phrase "study carrel." It carries a distinctly scholarly, contemplative connotation — to occupy a carrell is to signal serious, focused work.
nounA small individual study space in a library, typically a desk or enclosed cubicle intended for one reader; also spelled "carrel".
- A small, individual study space or desk in a library, often partially enclosed, designed for a single reader.
- A recess or small enclosure in a cloister, historically used by monks for reading and writing.
"She claimed the window-side carrell on the third floor and worked there undisturbed until closing time."
"Graduate students often reserve a carrell for the entire semester so they can keep their research materials close at hand."
"In medieval monasteries, each monk retreated to his carrell in the cloister for quiet reading and copying of manuscripts."
Regular English plural, formed by adding -s.
"The renovated library added forty new carrells along the east wall."
The humble library cubicle you hide away in has been around since the Middle Ages — monks were studying in carrells centuries before the first university library opened its doors.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of carrell
The word "carrell" first appears in English during the Middle Ages, when it referred to the small reading enclosures set into monastery cloisters where monks studied and copied manuscripts. Its ultimate origin is uncertain; lexicographers have proposed connections to medieval Latin terms for a small enclosure or pulpit-like structure, but no derivation has been established with certainty. The variant spellings "carrel" and "carrell" coexisted for centuries, and both remain in use today, though "carrel" is now the more standard form.
How carrell is actually used
The spelling "carrel" is now more standard than "carrell", though both are accepted. The word carries a quiet, scholarly connotation and appears almost exclusively in academic and library contexts. In American usage it frequently appears in the fixed phrase "study carrel".
Easily confused with carrell
"Carrel" is simply the standard modern spelling of the same word, while "carrell" is an accepted but less common variant.
"Carol" is a festive song or a given name, whereas a "carrell" is a small library study space.