singer

[ sing-er ]

/ ˈsɪŋ ər /

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See synonyms for singer on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who sings, especially a trained or professional vocalist.

a poet.

a singing bird.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of singer

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50; see origin at sing, -er¹

Other definitions for singer (2 of 3)

singer²

[ sin-jer ]

/ ˈsɪn dʒər /

noun

a person or thing that singes.

Origin of singer

First recorded in 1870–75; singe + -er¹

Other definitions for singer (3 of 3)

Singer

[ sing-er ]

/ ˈsɪŋ ər /

noun

Isaac Ba·shev·is

[bah-shev-is], /bɑˈʃɛv ɪs/, 1904–91, U.S. novelist and short-story writer (in Yiddish), born in Poland: Nobel Prize 1978.

Isaac Mer·rit

[mer-it], /ˈmɛr ɪt/, 1811–75, U.S. inventor.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use singer in a sentence

Singers Nancy Wilson and Billy Eckstine attended, and actor and activist Ossie Davis delivered a well-received speech.
When Bill Cosby N-Bombed the Congressional Black Caucus|Asawin Suebsaeng|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Since Trainor was still a songwriter first, the tune was circled by about a dozen singers—including Beyoncé—but no one bit.
‘All About That Bass’ Singer Meghan Trainor On Haters and Her Polarizing (and Unlikely) No. 1 Hit|Marlow Stern|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The era of singers telling loser boyfriends to shove off and demanding more from men was over.
Beyoncé Is Our Indigo Girl: The Halcyon '90s and Feminism's Resurgence in Pop Music|Amanda Marcotte|August 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Opera singers are constantly eating to protect their vocal chords,” he says.
‘Get On Up’ Star Chadwick Boseman on Becoming James Brown—With A Little Help From Mick Jagger|Marlow Stern|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Classic R&B singers like Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, and Gloria Gaynor used to sing stirring ballads to beloved men.
Lana Del Rey Makes Me Wish I Were Straight|Samantha Allen|July 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And the singers lifted up their voices, and in the great house the sound of sweet melody was increased.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Then in the large parish churches the quartet of singers in the west gallery where the organ was placed had been abolished.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Warton calmly observes: 'there is not a syllable of these songs and singers of Lorraine in the French.'
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
The night at last had imposed herself on the singers, and they had sunk down to sleep under the mantle of her silence.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens
Madame do Rego has an admirable voice, and there were several good singers and players on the piano.
Journal of a Voyage to Brazil|Maria Graham

British Dictionary definitions for singer (1 of 2)

singer

/ (ˈsɪŋə) /

noun

a person who sings, esp one who earns a living by singing

a singing bird

an obsolete word for poet

British Dictionary definitions for singer (2 of 2)

Singer

/ (ˈsɪŋə) /

noun

Isaac Bashevis. 1904–91, US writer of Yiddish novels and short stories; born in Poland. His works include Satan in Goray (1935), The Family Moscat (1950), the autobiographical In my Father's Court (1966), and The King of the Fields (1989): Nobel prize for literature 1978

Isaac Merrit. 1811–75, US inventor, who originated and developed an improved chain-stitch sewing machine (1852)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

singer

Origin of singer

Other definitions for singer (2 of 3)

Origin of singer

Other definitions for singer (3 of 3)

Words related to singer

How to use singer in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for singer (1 of 2)

British Dictionary definitions for singer (2 of 2)