Dictionary

orchestra en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈoɹ.kɪs.tɹə/ (California)
• (US) audio
• /ˈɔː.kəs.tɹə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• audio Gloucestershire
• audio North Carolina
• /ˈoɹ.kɪs.tɹə/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈoɹ.kəs.tɹə/ (Canada, General-American)
• /ˈɔː.kɪs.tɹə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• [ˈoɹkɛstɹə] (California) California Vowel Shift
• /ˈoɹ.kəs.tɹə/ (California)

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin orchēstra, borrowed from Ancient Greek ὀρχήστρα (orkhḗstra), from ὀρχέομαι (orkhéomai, “to dance”) + -τρᾰ (-tră, “a suffix used to form instrument nouns (pl.)”).

Meanings

1. A large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, usually including some from strings, woodwind, brass and/or percussion; the instruments played by such a group.
   • The orchestra plays music for the dancers to dance to in the 19th century-styled dance hall.
   • Musicians play their instruments. I play the orchestra. 2015, Aaron Sorkin, Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs, spoken by Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender):
   • It requires quite an orchestra to get a train to start; the guard blows his horn, the stationmaster rings a large bell, and the engine whistles. 1941 February, Voyageur, “The Railways of Greece”, in Railway Magazine, page 67:
2. (qualifier:Ancient Greece) A semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient Greek and Hellenistic theatres.
3. The area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit, immediately in front of and below the stage, sometimes (also) used by other performers.
4. (collective) A group of crickets.
   • Nightfall also awakened the neighborhood orchestra of crickets. 2024 April 21, Borden Applegate, “Jacksonville Beach retiree: Memories of frogs, fireflies and a natural world now vanished”, in The Florida Times Union:
   • Then he’ll focus his attention on the family’s sprawling property in the Riverland town of Loxton, where Schubert farms an orchestra of crickets. 2025, Ben Hook, “Cockroaches and crickets the future for Olympic hero”, in Sen.com.au:
   • the jackhammering racket of the city softened and an orchestra of crickets trilled in unison 2024 September 11, Eliot Stein, “Kayaking the waters that shaped New York City”, in BBC:

Forms

Deriveds

miniorchestra · orchestral · orchestra stalls · orchestrion · palm court orchestra · orchestration · orchestrate · orchestra-pit · string orchestra · orchestra hit · steel pan orchestra · pops orchestra · orchestrina · orchestra stall · symphony orchestra · chamber orchestra · orchestraless · orchestra pit · monkey orchestra · philharmonic orchestra

Descendants

오케스트라 · أوركسترا · オーケストラ · ออร์เคสตรา · orkestër

Translations (120)

ru оркестро́вая я́ма (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · lo ດຸລິຍາງ (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · sah аркыастыр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · xal оркестр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · pl orchestra (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · eo orkestro (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · lo ຕຸລິຍາງ (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · hi बाजा (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · es orquestra (disused) (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · hi वृंदवादन (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · be арке́стр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · mk оркестар (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · bn বাদকদল (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · lt orkestras (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · nn orkester (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · ur آرْکِسْٹْرا (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · cmn 管弦樂團 /管弦乐团 (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · ms orkestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · nl orkest (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · fi orkestra (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · el ορχήστρα (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · bg орке́стър (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · id orkestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · id orkes (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · ka ორკესტრი (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · pl orkiestra (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · fi orkesteri (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · el ορχήστρα (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · fa-ira اُرْکِسْتْر (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · he תזמורת (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · kk оркестр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · pt orquestra (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · et orkester (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · fr orchestre (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · mt orkestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · is hljómsveit (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · tr orkestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · uz orkestr (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · nrf orchestre (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · tl orkestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · alt оркестр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · af orkes (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · ro orchestră (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · nrf orchestre (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · es orquesta (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · km ពិផាត (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · hy նվագախումբ (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · tk orkestr (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · kl nipilersortut (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · fi orkesteri (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · nb orkester (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · sah оркестр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · da orchestra (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · es orquesta (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · hu zenekar (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · nl orkestbak (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · az orkestr (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · nrf orchestre (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · lo ມະໂຫຣີ (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · ja オーケストラ (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · es orquesta (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · sk orchester (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · sh о̀ркестар (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · lv orķestris (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · it orchestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · da orkestergrav (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · el ορχήστρα (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · hi ऑर्केस्ट्रा (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · mn найрал хөгжим (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · th ออร์เคสตรา (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · el θυμέλη (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · ca orquestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · is orkestur (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · hi आर्केस्ट्रा (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · cmn 樂團 /乐团 (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · fi orkesterimonttu (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · gl orquestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · my သံစုံတီးဝိုင်း (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · he תִּזְמֹרֶת (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · sh òrkestar (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · bua оркестр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · vi dàn nhạc (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · tyv оркестр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · cmn 管弦樂隊 /管弦乐队 (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · bn অর্কেস্ট্রা (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · uk орке́стр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · pt orquestra (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · km តុរិយាង្គ (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · mi rāngai puoro (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · pt orquestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · sv orkester (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · lo ມະໂຫລີ (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · mi tira puoro (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · fr orchestre (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · de Orchester (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · ar أُورْكِسْتْرَا (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · ko 오케스트라 (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · cy cerddorfa (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · lo ປີ່ພາດ (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · de Orchestergraben (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · eu orkestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · tyv хөгжүм (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · ru орке́стр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · sl orkester (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · yi אָרקעסטער (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · mi tira pūoru (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · sq orkestër (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · nl orkestra (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · fr orchestre (the area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit) · pl orkiestra (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · hi वाद्यवृंद (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · cmn 樂隊 /乐队 (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · haw hui hoʻokani pila (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · da orkester (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · ky оркестр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · cs orchestr (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · es orquestra (disused) (semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient theatres) · ga ceolfhoireann (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · tg оркестр (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments) · es orquestra (disused) (large group of musicians who play together on various instruments)