Dictionary

chorister en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkɔɹɪstɚ/ (US)
• /ˈkwɒɹɪstəɹ/ (dialectal, obsolete)
• /ˈkwɪɹɪstəɹ/ (obsolete)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈkɒɹɪstə(ɹ)/ (UK)
• (General-American) audio
• /ˈkwæɹɪstəɹ/ (obsolete)

Etymology

Derived from late Middle English queristre, from an Anglo-Norman variant of Old French cueriste, from cuer (see Middle French cuer). Equivalent to choir + -ster.

Meanings

1. A singer in a choir; especially a child in a church or cathedral choir.
   • 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:
   • And a Salisbury Cathedral chorister complained that after working late into Christmas Day, an absence of trains meant he and his brother would not be able to get home for "our proper Christmas" until the 27th. 2023 December 27, David Turner, “Silent lines...”, in RAIL, number 999, page 30:
   • None of the new choristers can sing in tune but they will learn soon enough.
   • These be my querysters To helpe me to synge, My hawkes to mattens rynge! c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC, page 65, lines 122–124:
2. (US) A director or leader of a choral group.
   • Jane was the chorister of her congregation's choir, and that occupied much of her time on the weekends.

Forms

Translations (33)

fi kuorolaulaja (singer in a choir) · ru хори́стка (singer in a choir) · gv cochiaulleyder (singer in a choir) · pl chórzystka (singer in a choir) · ca corista (singer in a choir) · hu énekkari tag (singer in a choir) · gd neach-còisir (singer in a choir) · de Chorist (singer in a choir) · sw mwanakwaya (singer in a choir) · eo korusano (singer in a choir) · nl koorzanger (singer in a choir) · sv körsångare (singer in a choir) · de Chorsängerin (singer in a choir) · pt corista (singer in a choir) · tr korist (singer in a choir) · it cantore (singer in a choir) · de Chorsänger (singer in a choir) · nb korsanger (singer in a choir) · ga cantaire (singer in a choir) · eo ĥorano (singer in a choir) · nn korsongar (singer in a choir) · pl chórzysta (singer in a choir) · de Choristin (singer in a choir) · es corista (singer in a choir) · ru пе́вчий (singer in a choir) · it corista (singer in a choir) · el χορωδός (singer in a choir) · ru хори́ст (singer in a choir) · nl korist (singer in a choir) · fr choriste (singer in a choir) · sv korist (singer in a choir) · fi kuorolainen (singer in a choir) · hu karénekes (singer in a choir)