choir

1 of 2

noun

ˈkwī(-ə)r 

1

: an organized company of singers (as in a church service)

… greeted by a large male choir wearing red bowties and singing carols.

—New Yorker

2

: a group of instruments of the same class

a brass choir

3

: an organized group of persons or things

… travels with a suite of assistants and a choir of publicists.

—L. R. Lapham

4

: a division of angels

5

: the part of a church occupied by the singers or by the clergy

also : the part of a church where the services are performed

6

: a group organized for ensemble speaking

choir

2 of 2

verb

choired; choiring; choirs

intransitive verb

: to sing or sound in chorus or concert

The woodwinds choired eloquently.

Synonyms of choir

Noun

• chorus

Examples of choir in a Sentence

Noun

joined the choir for next year

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Joining Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick in the original lineup was Fatone’s high school choir buddy Jason Galasso. —Joyce Eng, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Apr. 2026

We are used to hearing him through a halo of reverb, as part of a Vocoder robo-choir, tucked back in the mix, less a focal point than another instrument in the ensemble. —Mitch Therieau, Pitchfork, 8 Apr. 2026

Chisolm also sang with Stone in their church choir. —Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 8 Apr. 2026

The album the 48-year-old country-music star put out last May leans hard into mood, scale and theatricality — strings, horns, choirs, the whole shebang — built around the idea of pushing back against a culture that wants everything fast, familiar and instantly gratifying. —Theoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 6 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English quer, from Anglo-French queor, from Medieval Latin chorus, from Latin, chorus — more at chorus

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1596, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing choir

• choir loft
• preach to the choir

Rhymes for choir

• acquire
• attire
• bonfire
• campfire
• ceasefire
• conspire
• desire
• enquire
• entire
• greenbrier
• gunfire
• homebuyer

Kids Definition

choir

noun

ˈkwī(-ə)r

1

: an organized group of singers especially in a church

2

: the part of a church where the choir sits