choir

American  

[kwahy^uhr] / kwaɪər /

Archaic, quire

noun

choirs plural

1. a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.

2. any group of musicians or musical instruments; a musical company, or band, or a division of one.

   string choir.

3. Architecture.

   1. the part of a church occupied by the singers of the choir.

   2. the part of a cruciform church east of the crossing.

4. (in medieval angelology) one of the orders of angels.

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adjective

1. professed to recite or chant the divine office.

   a choir monk.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to sing or sound in chorus.

idioms

1. preach to the choir. see preach to the choir.

choir British  

/ kwaɪə /

noun

1. an organized group of singers, esp for singing in church services

2. 1. the part of a cathedral, abbey, or church in front of the altar, lined on both sides with benches, and used by the choir and clergy Compare chancel

   2. ( as modifier )

      choir stalls

3. a number of instruments of the same family playing together

   a brass choir

4. Also called: choir organ.  one of the manuals on an organ controlling a set of soft sweet-toned pipes Compare great swell

5. any of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• choirlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• choirs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of choir

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English quer, from Old French cuer, from Latin chorus “choir,” replacing Old English chor, from Latin; see chorus

Explanation

A choir is group of singers, often gathered for church ceremonies. If you love to sing but don't fancy a solo turn on a TV talent show, perhaps joining a choir would satisfy you. Choir, pronounced QUIRE, comes from the Latin word chorus, which itself comes from the Greek name for a group of singers and dancers. We still use chorus for singing or dancing, but choir is exclusively for singing groups. Although choirs are traditionally associated with church services, they don't have to be. If you love singing but aren't religious, you could start a choir that sings about the glory of donuts. It's also a verb, as in, "I love to choir."

Example Sentences

They held signs reading “Love your neighbor as yourself,” cheered as local clergy-turned-activists spoke out against the ruling and joined the World House Choir in protest song.

From Salon • Jun. 27, 2026

For the nation’s 250th anniversary year, a special addition was the Salina Symphony Youth Choir, elementary and middle schoolers who presented a number called “Thank You, Soldiers.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026

After an audition, Hugh was among the 34 farmers chosen to make up The Hawkstone Farmers' Choir out of more than 500 applicants.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

“The personal journey to continue to discover things about Betye. I can open a ledger and it’s like, ‘Oh, I forgot she designed costumes for the Tuskegee Choir.’

From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2026

Sometimes when it was all dark and when it seemed that sleep had come at last, the diamond-true child voices of the Sistine Choir would come from the windows of the laboratory.

From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck

Related Words

• assemblage
• band
• cast
• chorus
• orchestra
• quartet
• quintet
• sextet
• trio
• troupe