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

Noun

• chorus

Examples of choir in a Sentence

Noun

joined the choir for next year

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As Rissa emerged from the chapel and began to walk down the aisle during the ceremony, a harpist and choir sang softly in the background, adding to the already emotional atmosphere. —Luke Chinman, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025

His 2024 mixtape Underworld imagines what that would be like by morphing the sinister choir-drill popularized by guys like Ot7Quanny and Hood Tali P into full-on theatrical horrorcore. —Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2025

Verb

The boys choir Escolania de Montserrat i Cor Cambra Palau de la Música Catalana will also be part of the album. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025

That diversity—seemingly contradictory—gives the orchestra and choir their unique identity: individual tastes converging into a collective national sound. —Billboard Arabia, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2025

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