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

That scientist was annoyed that the scraps of paper he used to mark hymns for his church choir would fall out by Sunday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Two years later, near the end of my training, I was sitting in church, listening to the choir sing something beautiful, though I do not recall the precise hymn.

From Slate • Mar. 29, 2026

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 • Mar. 16, 2026

Known for his style as well as his music, the former One Direction star was dressed in a Chanel pinstriped suit and was joined on-stage by a gospel choir.

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

She hummed along with one of her church choir songs softly playing on an old boom box.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

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