cantor

¹ American  

[kan-ter, -tawr] / ˈkæn tər, -tɔr /

noun

1. the religious official of a synagogue who conducts the liturgical portion of a service and sings or chants the prayers and parts of prayers designed to be performed as solos.

2. an official whose duty is to lead the singing in a cathedral or in a collegiate or parish church; a precentor.

---

Cantor ² American  

[kan-ter, kahn-tawr] / ˈkæn tər, ˈkɑn tɔr /

noun

1. Eddie Edward Israel Iskovitz, 1892–1964, U.S. singer and entertainer.

2. Georg 1845–1918, German mathematician, born in Russia.

---

cantor British  

/ ˈkæntɔː /

noun

1. Also called: chazan.  Judaism a man employed to lead synagogue services, esp to traditional modes and melodies

2. Christianity the leader of the singing in a church choir

---

Etymology

Origin of cantor

1530–40; < Latin: singer, equivalent to can ( ere ) to sing + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

They were also performed for the first time in 320 years at the St Thomas Church in Leipzig, where Bach is buried and served as a cantor for 27 years.

From Barron's • Nov. 17, 2025

In Grades IV and V, they perform tests at a walk, trot, cantor and do lateral work.

From BBC • Aug. 25, 2024

A nivel celular, el cerebro de un pájaro cantor cuenta con una estructura, la cresta ventricular dorsal, similar al neocórtex de los mamíferos en función, aunque no en forma.

From New York Times • Mar. 28, 2024

Douglas Purcell, the cantor at St. Ignatius Loyola, said in an interview after the service that the lack of mention of the former president seemed to be in accordance with Barry’s wishes.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 17, 2023

In those days any Orthodox Jew who said he was a rabbi could preach and go around singing like a cantor and such.

From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride