choir

noun \ ˈkwī(-ə)r \

Definition of choir

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

See choir defined for English-language learners

See choir defined for kids

Examples of choir in a Sentence

joined the choir for next year

Recent Examples of choir from the Web

An investigation into the treatment of choir boys at an ancient Catholic music school in Germany has concluded that at least 547 children were abused between the years of 1945 and 1992.

— robert newhouse, Teen Vogue, "Over 500 Students Were Allegedly Abused at This German Music School," 19 July 2017
The choir’s music director from 1964 to 1994 was the Rev. Georg Ratzinger, whose younger brother, Joseph Ratzinger, reigned as Pope Benedict XVI from 2005 to 2013.

— melissa eddy, New York Times, "‘Culture of Silence’ Abetted Abuse of at Least 547 German Choir Boys, Inquiry Finds," 18 July 2017
This all male choir began their song a few weeks back and should continue through mid-September.

— jefferson county cooperative extension, AL.com, "Danger follows the buzz of summer (Garden Talk)," 18 July 2017
The sanctuary was extended by 40 feet, and a choir loft and baptismal pool were built.

— adele foster, NOLA.com, "Mandeville Bible Church, established in 1876, breathes history on Carroll Street," 16 July 2017
The big cat shakes the water from his head and looks around for a moment, as if searching for the source of the noise, but otherwise seems unfazed by the amphibian choir.

— liza gross, Smithsonian, "How Fear of Humans Can Ripple Through Food Webs and Reshape Landscapes," 12 July 2017
A notable fixture that will stay behind is the 4,000 pipe organ, built into the walls of the choir loft at St. John the Baptist in the 1950s.

— jordan otero sisson, courant.com, "Church Consolidations Could Impact Soup Kitchens, Other Ministries," 30 June 2017
Upon entering Bonita Vista High School, Dela Rosa joined show choir.

— sabrina pascua, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Diego: Telling stories on stage, in print," 26 June 2017
Patriotic choir and a salute to honor all current and former military.

— The Courier-Journal, "50+ fun things for week of June 22-28," 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'choir.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of choir

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

choir Synonyms

Synonyms

chorus, chorale, consort, glee club

Related Words

ensemble; minstrelsy

Other Music Terms

cacophony, chorister, concerto, counterpoint, madrigal, obbligato, presto, refrain, riff, segue

choir

verb

Definition of choir

intransitive verb

:to sing or sound in chorus or concert

The woodwinds choired eloquently.

Recent Examples of choir from the Web

The show, written by Nancy Hersage and directed by William Liberatore, was a fundraiser for the Gunn High Tour Scholarship fund, which is to help choir students get to Ireland for the June tour.

— john orr, The Mercury News, "‘And Then There Were Nuns’ sung to support Gunn High Choir tour," 13 Feb. 2017