choir

a group of singers, esp. in a church service; a group of musicians: a string choir

Not to be confused with:

quire – a set of twenty-four uniform sheets of paper

choir

(kwīr)

1. An organized company of singers, especially one performing church music or singing in a church.

a. The part of a church used by such a company of singers.

b. The part of the chancel in a cruciform church that is occupied by this company of singers.

a. A group of instruments of the same kind: a string choir.

b. A division of some pipe organs, containing pipes suitable for accompanying a choir.

4. An organized group: a choir of dancers.

5. One of the orders of angels.

intr.v. choired, choir·ing, choirs

To sing in chorus.

[Middle English quer, quire, from Old French cuer, from Medieval Latin chorus, from Latin, choral dance; see chorus.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

choir

(kwaɪə)

1. (Music, other) an organized group of singers, esp for singing in church services

2. (Architecture)

a. 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

b. (as modifier): choir stalls.

3. (Instruments) a number of instruments of the same family playing together: a brass choir.

4. (Instruments) Also called: choir organ one of the manuals on an organ controlling a set of soft sweet-toned pipes. Compare great²¹, swell¹⁶

5. (Theology) any of the nine orders of angels in medieval angelology

6. preach to the choir chiefly US to express an opinion to someone who is already in agreement with it

Archaic spelling: quire

[C13 quer, from Old French cuer, from Latin chorus]

ˈchoirˌlike adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

choir

(kwaɪ^ər)

n.

1. a company of singers, esp. an organized group in a church.

2. any group of musicians or musical instruments; a musical company or band, or a division of one: string choir.

a. the part of a church occupied by choir singers.

b. the part of a cruciform church east of the crossing.

4. (medieval) one of the orders of angels.

v.t., v.i.

5. to sing or sound in chorus.

[1250–1300; Middle English quer < Old French cuer < Latin chorus chorus]

Choir

an organized company of persons or things; a company of singers; a band or company of dancers; an order or division of angels. See also carol, chorus.

Examples: choir of angels, 1667; of cherubim, 1667; of choristers; of cosmical science, 1855; of dancers; of echoes, 1592; of muses, of planets, 1692; of teeth, 1704; of tents, 1382.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	choir - a chorus that sings as part of a religious ceremony chorus - a group of people assembled to sing together chorister - a singer in a choir
	2.	choir - a family of similar musical instrument playing together consort set - a group of things of the same kind that belong together and are so used; "a set of books"; "a set of golf clubs"; "a set of teeth"
	3.	choir - the area occupied by singers; the part of the chancel between sanctuary and nave area - a part of a structure having some specific characteristic or function; "the spacious cooking area provided plenty of room for servants" bema, chancel, sanctuary - area around the altar of a church for the clergy and choir; often enclosed by a lattice or railing
Verb	1.	choir - sing in a choir chorus music - musical activity (singing or whistling etc.); "his music was his central interest" sing - produce tones with the voice; "She was singing while she was cooking"; "My brother sings very well"

Translations

جَوْقَه مُرَتِّلينكُوْرَس

chórpěvecký sborsbor

kor

Chor

χορωδία

ĥoro

coro

koor

kuorikuoro

chœur chorale

zbor

énekkarkarkórus

kór

coro

聖歌隊

합창단

chorus

choras

koris

chór

zbor

körkor

คณะร้องเพลงประสานเสียง

koro

dàn đồng ca

合唱团唱诗班唱诗队

choir

[ˈkwaɪəʳ]

A. N

1. (Mus) → coro m, coral f

2. (Archit) → coro m

B. CPD choir school N escuela primaria para niños cantores
choir stall N → silla f de coro
see also practice A4

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

choir

[ˈkwaɪə^r] n

[singers] → chœur m, chorale f
I sing in the school choir → Je chante dans la chorale de l'école.

(= part of church) → chœur m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

choir

→ Chor m; you are singing to the choir (US: inf) → du rennst offene Türen ein

(Archit) → Chor(raum) m

choir

in cpds → Chor-;

choirboy

n → Chor- or Sängerknabe m

choir loft

n → Chorempore f

choir master

n → Chorleiter m

choir practice

n → Chorprobe f

choir school

n → Konvikt nt → für Sängerknaben

choir stall

n → Chorstuhl m

choir stalls

pl → Chorgestühl nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

choir

[ˈkwaɪəʳ] n → coro

choir

(ˈkwaiə) noun

a group of singers. He used to sing in the church choir.

choir

→ كُوْرَس sbor kor Chor χορωδία coro kuoro chœur zbor coro 聖歌隊 합창단 koor kor chór coro хор kör คณะร้องเพลงประสานเสียง koro dàn đồng ca 唱诗班

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

He was an imposing and sombre personage, before whom the choir boys in alb and in jacket trembled, as well as the machicots*, and the brothers of Saint-Augustine and the matutinal clerks of Notre-Dame, when he passed slowly beneath the lofty arches of the choir, majestic, thoughtful, with arms folded and his head so bent upon his breast that all one saw of his face was his large, bald brow.

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At the hour appointed, Lord de Winter and the four friends repaired to the convent; the bells tolled, the chapel was open, the grating of the choir was closed.

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He turned Methodist just because the Presbyterian choir happened to be singing `Behold the bridegroom cometh' for a collection piece when him and Margaret walked up the aisle the Sunday after they were married.

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The gilt on the red ground of the holy picture-stand, and the gilt relief on the pictures, and the silver of the lusters and candlesticks, and the stones of the floor, and the rugs, and the banners above in the choir, and the steps of the altar, and the old blackened books, and the cassocks and surplices--all were flooded with light.

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The service itself was in great part musical, the confident notes of the full choir joining with the resonant organ-tones; and after all the rest the richly robed priests and ministrants passed along the aisles in stately processions enveloped in fragrant clouds of incense.

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The congregation being fully assembled, now, the bell rang once more, to warn laggards and stragglers, and then a solemn hush fell upon the church which was only broken by the tittering and whispering of the choir in the gallery.

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He kept the parish accounts, arranged the treats for the choir and the schools; though there was no organ in the parish church, it was generally considered (in Blackstable) that the choir he led was the best in Kent; and when there was any ceremony, such as a visit from the Bishop for confirmation or from the Rural Dean to preach at the Harvest Thanksgiving, he made the necessary preparations.

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And they say (the starry choir And all the listening things) That Israfeli's fire Is owing to that lyre By which he sits and sings - The trembling living wire Of those unusual strings.

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Allan says I have a good voice and she says I must sing in the Sunday-school choir after this.

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"Well, then, I wish you'd keep hold o' the tune, when it's set for you; if you're for practising, I wish you'd practise that," said a large jocose-looking man, an excellent wheelwright in his week-day capacity, but on Sundays leader of the choir. He winked, as he spoke, at two of the company, who were known officially as the "bassoon" and the "key-bugle", in the confidence that he was expressing the sense of the musical profession in Raveloe.

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These said that the choir would keep up their lacerating attempts at melody until they would bring down a storm some day that would sink the ship.

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The congregation had been used to seeing Will at church in former days, and no one took much note of him except the choir, who expected him to make a figure in the singing.

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