choir

Archaic, quire

[kwahy^uhr]

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.

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.

choir

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• choirlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of choir¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of choir¹

C13 quer, from Old French cuer, from Latin _chorus

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

Example Sentences

In the Sistine Chapel the Catholic and Anglican choirs literally sang from the same hymn sheet.

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As always, Elfman and the cast will be accompanied by a live orchestra and choir while the film plays on large screens.

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Under the chapel's famous ceiling painted by Michelangelo, the service will bring together clergy and choirs from both the Roman Catholic church and the Church of England, of which the King is supreme governor.

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In the interest of equal time, episode 1 ends with a gospel choir.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"It felt like there were no limits for what we could do, whether it was a really long guitar solo, or something inspired by a Bulgarian folk choir," says Davies.

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Related Words

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