choir Hear it!

choir definition

choir (kwīr)

noun

  1. a group of singers organized and trained to sing together, esp. in a church
  2. the part of a church they occupy, as a chancel or choir loft
  3. ☆ an instrumental section of an orchestra the brass choir
  4. any organized group or band, as of dancers
  5. Theol. any of the nine orders of angels

Etymology: < ME quere < OFr cuer < ML chorus, choir < L (see chorus); sp. altered under infl. of L

transitive verb, intransitive verb

Old Poet. to sing in chorus

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

choir Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • robe: This is a robed choir, affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music.

Converse of subject

  • sing: The Psalms were chanted, and Hymns sung by the choir with spirit and care; the Hymns were " Come to thy Temple.

Adjective modifier

  • angelic: Sounds of thunder lie behind the angelic choir who introduce ' Belt Up ' .

Modifies a noun

  • vestry: The choir vestry door on a sunny August day in 1999.

Noun used with modifier

  • gospel: Terri Hendrix sounded like an off the wall gospel choir on her own.

Possessives

  • repertoire: It is good to keep introducing new pieces in order to increase a choir's repertoire - pieces can then be performed in rotation.

Preposition: of

  • angel: Vast choirs of angels are massing on Earth now to help us with this transition.
choir usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

choir quotes

Since I am coming to that holy room Where, withThy choir of saints forevermore, I shall be madeThy Music, as I come I tune the instrument here at the door, And what I must do then, think now before.

-Donne,John

I want to retire at 50. I want to play cricket in the summer and geriatric football in the winter, and sing in the choir.

-Kinnock, Neil Gordon

So then he said that he used to be a member of the choir himself, so who was heto cast the first rock at a girl like I.

-Loos, Anita

choir quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"choir." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/choir>

APA Style

choir. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/choir

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