choir

American  

[kwahy^uhr] / kwaɪər /

Archaic, quire

noun

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. 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

• choirlike adjective

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; chorus

Example Sentences

In the choir she will be installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury in the "Cathedral Chair" before moving to the famous "Chair of St Augustine" to be installed as Primate of All England.

From BBC

Young Sylvia loved Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan; sang in her church choir and occasionally with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra; and played drums, keyboard and guitar by ear.

From The Wall Street Journal

Following along behind us were the choir schoolchildren, in pairs, a sack on every back, and as silent as we were, Mutti walking with them.

From Literature

The King also unveiled a plaque to mark his visit before he was treated to an open-air performance by a choir from the Royal Northern College of Music.

From BBC

Ahead of the speeches, a choir sang as attendees photographed a large panel emblazoned with one of Jackson's mantras "keep hope alive."

From Barron's

Related Words

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