choir
Americannoun
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choirs
plural
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a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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any group of musicians or musical instruments; a musical company, or band, or a division of one.
string choir.
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Architecture.
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the part of a church occupied by the singers of the choir.
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the part of a cruciform church east of the crossing.
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(in medieval angelology) one of the orders of angels.
adjective
verb (used with or without object)
idioms
noun
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an organized group of singers, esp for singing in church services
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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
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( as modifier )
choir stalls
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a number of instruments of the same family playing together
a brass choir
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Also called: choir organ. one of the manuals on an organ controlling a set of soft sweet-toned pipes Compare great swell
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any of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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."
Vocabulary lists containing choir
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Young Marian began singing in her church’s junior choir at the age of 6.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Barkley Thompson is the musical director of the choir.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
His mother, Karen, sang in the choir, and his father, Andrew, was a deacon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
From there it opens up, like a flower bud warming to summer, with acoustic guitar strumming, a gentle rhythm section and a gospel choir echoing with otherworldly lightness.
From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2026
At least three times a week, I looked forward to Mother Lois taking me to Bethel AME for choir practice, speeches by people from out of town who talked about God, and Bible study.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Two large choirs also joined the orchestra at the sessions in April, which took place at Alexandra Palace in north London.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Gospel choirs, country musicians, jazz ensembles, mariachi groups, Indigenous performers, military bands and local community orchestras share stages throughout the city.
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
It’s as if the holiday season hadn’t yet ended, with festive lighting, local choirs singing folk songs, and tables representing various organizations associated with the cozy concept of hygge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
“And then a few minutes later they’re praying on the ship and I’ve used all these reverbs and there’s all these choirs singing in the background — it’s almost like what they felt from within.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 24, 2025
About this time, Marian was invited to join the People’s Chorus, made up of a hundred voices recruited from black church choirs all over the city.
From "The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights" by Russell Freedman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
