choir en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English quer, quere, from Old French quer, from Latin chorus, from Ancient Greek χορός (khorós, “company of dancers or singers”). Modern spelling influenced by chorus and French chœur. Doublet of quire, chorus, and hora. Displaced native Old English hād.
Meanings
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(collective) A group of people who sing together; a company of people who are trained to sing together.
Army choirs and troupes perform at some of North Korea's biggest state events.
2020 April 24, Oscar Holland, “How North Korea’s ideology is built on song and dance”, in CNN:The church choir practices Thursday nights.
Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […], down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:Public health officials studying the Covid-19 outbreak among members of a Washington choir found numerous ways the virus could have spread, according to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2020 May 13, David Williams, “How coronavirus spread from one member to 87% of the singers at a Washington choir practice”, in CNN:
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One quarter of a cruciform church, or the architectural area of a church, generally used by the choir; often near the apse.
Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.
1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
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(Christian) One of the nine ranks or orders of angels.
Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones are three of the choirs of angels.
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(collective) A group of angels, especially when depicted in art.
She is surrounded by a choir of angels
1876, John Murray, A Handbook for Travellers in Holland and Belgium, page 146:The right wing contains S. Francis receiving the Stigmata, beneath which the Virgin and Saviour (the Saviour is in the act of benediction) are represented on a common throne surrounded by a choir of angels.
1909, Joseph Archer Crowe, Giovanni Battista Cavalcaselle, A New History of Painting in Italy, page 16:Mary C. Neal who, after drowning in a river in 1999, reported being greeted by a choir of angels who not only offered her comfort but also imparted profound teachings about the purpose of existence and the interconnectedness of all souls
2026, Natalia Martinez, The Book of Angels and Archangels:Third miniature, Christ on a journey met by a choir of angels with musical instruments
1889, John William Bradley, A Dictionary of Miniaturists, Illuminators, Calligraphers, and Copyists With References to Their Works, and Notices of Their Patrons, from the Establishment of Christianity to the Eighteenth Century, volume 3:
- Set of strings (one per note) for a harpsichord.
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(figuratively) Any group or assemblage producing sound together; a chorus of loud cries or noises.
Sow ran and squall'd, While Jack he bawl'd, And Jill join'd in the choir, Dog Ball being near, Bit sow by the ear, And threw Jack into the mire.
1810, Jack and Jill, and old Dame Gill, York: J. Kendrew, page 12:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| choirs | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
choirman · retrochoir · choirmate · choirlike · choir screen · preach to the choir · choirwise · choirboy · choirleader · chorister · choirless · choir organ · choirstall · choirmistress · Nikon choir · choir stall · choirchild · choirgirl · brass choir · join the choir invisible · dawn choir · choir boy · choirmaster · choir school · antichoir · polychoir · antechoir
Relateds
chorus · choral · quire · quire · quire
Translations (144)
ru хоры́ (part of a church for choir assembly) · fr classe (a rank or order of angels) · fa-ira گُروهِ کُر (singing group) · ga cór (singing group) · pl chór (a rank or order of angels) · yi כאָר (singing group) · it coro (part of a church for choir assembly) · hy երգչախումբ (singing group) · nb kor (part of a church for choir assembly) · lo ຄາຍົກຄະນະ (singing group) · enm quer (part of a church for choir assembly) · is kór (singing group) · mn найрал дуу (singing group) · sq kor (singing group) · fr chœur (part of a church for choir assembly) · is kór (part of a church for choir assembly) · hi वृन्दगान (singing group) · sl kor (singing group) · hi कोरस (singing group) · mi rōpū waiata (singing group) · sk chór (singing group) · hu kar (singing group) · cs sbor (singing group) · es masa coral (singing group) · ky хор (singing group) · gd còisir (singing group) · ar كُورَس (singing group) · fo kór (singing group) · ja 合唱団 (singing group) · tr koro (singing group) · tk hor (singing group) · ro cor (singing group) · fr chœur (singing group) · enm quer (singing group) · cmn 合唱團 /合唱团 (singing group) · th คายกคณะ (singing group) · fr chorale (singing group) · eu abesbatza (singing group) · ru хор (singing group) · th นักร้องหมู่ (singing group) · vi hợp xướng (singing group) · sh zbȍr (singing group) · es orfeón (singing group) · mk хор (singing group) · sv kor (part of a church for choir assembly) · mi tira waiata (singing group) · th ลูกคู่ (singing group) · io koro (singing group) · yue 合唱團 /合唱团 (singing group) · et koor (singing group) · mfe koral (singing group) · ko 합창단 (singing group) · id paduan suara (singing group) · lt choras (singing group) · it coro (a rank or order of angels) · el χορωδία (singing group) · uz xor (singing group) · he מַקְהֵלָה (singing group) · sl zbor (singing group) · sv kör (singing group) · grc χορός (singing group) · bg хор (singing group) · pt coro (singing group) · cmn 唱詩班 /唱诗班 (singing group) · ar كُورَال (singing group) · nay kykulan (singing group) · hy դաս (part of a church for choir assembly) · hu kar (part of a church for choir assembly) · cs chór (singing group) · mi koaea (singing group) · ms paduan suara (singing group) · id kor (part of a church for choir assembly) · fi kuori (part of a church for choir assembly) · az xor (singing group) · tkl kaufaipehe (singing group) · id kor (singing group) · de Chor (singing group) · gl coro (singing group) · es coro (singing group) · th คณะประสานเสียง (singing group) · sh hȏr (singing group) · hu kórus (part of a church for choir assembly) · sh збо̏р (singing group) · ar جَوْقَة (singing group) · la chorus (singing group) · el χορωδία (part of a church for choir assembly) · uk хор (singing group) · pl chór (singing group) · es escolanía (singing group) · mn ᠨᠠᠶᠢᠷᠠᠯ ᠳᠠᠭᠤᠤ (singing group) · eu koru (part of a church for choir assembly) · mi koea (singing group) · la concentus (singing group) · km ក្រុមចម្រៀង (singing group) · da kor (singing group) · pt coral (singing group) · ja 聖歌隊 (part of a church for choir assembly) · kk хор (singing group) · kri kwaya (singing group) · fi kööri (singing group) · de Engelschor (a rank or order of angels) · pdt Kua (singing group) · kix tsúihói (singing group) · hu énekkar (singing group) · sw kwaya (singing group) · ang chor (singing group) · be хор (singing group) · luy ekwaya (singing group) · nl koor (singing group) · hu énekkar (part of a church for choir assembly) · ka გუნდი (singing group) · vi dàn hợp xướng (singing group) · cy côr (singing group) · hi गायक-मंडली (singing group) · fr chœur (a rank or order of angels) · eo ĥoro (singing group) · tt хор (singing group) · eo koruso (singing group) · ca cor (singing group) · ar كَوْرَس (singing group) · pt coro (a rank or order of angels) · ms koir (singing group) · pt coro (part of a church for choir assembly) · cs kruchta (part of a church for choir assembly) · de Chor (part of a church for choir assembly) · ar خُورُس (singing group) · cs kůr (part of a church for choir assembly) · tg хор (singing group) · ug خور (singing group) · af koor (singing group) · fa-ira کُر (singing group) · fi kuoro (singing group) · eu koru (singing group) · nl koor (part of a church for choir assembly) · sh хо̑р (singing group) · nb kor (singing group) · hu kórus (singing group) · pl chór (part of a church for choir assembly) · sk zbor (singing group) · lv koris (singing group) · it coro (singing group) · bg хор (part of a church for choir assembly) · mi kapa waiata (singing group) · arz كورال (singing group)