choir

1 of 2

noun

1
: an organized company of singers (as in a church service)
greeted by a large male choir wearing red bowties and singing carolsNew 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.

Examples of choir in a Sentence

Noun joined the choir for next year
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
At age twelve—in an era before participation trophies—my classmates and I were forced to audition for the new school choir. Oskar Oprey, Artforum, 28 Jan. 2025 In among all these itinerant jobs, Robert meets Gladys (Felicity Jones), a young woman who sings in the church choir and becomes the incandescent center of his life. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Jan. 2025
Verb
Performing at Trump's swearing in ceremony are country star Carrie Underwood and opera singer Christopher Macchio, while singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood, choirs from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Marine Band are expected to have musical contributions to the program. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 19 Jan. 2025 Without cars, poor people can’t take children to sports practice, to choir, or to church. Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for choir 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of choir was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near choir

Cite this Entry

“Choir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/choir. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on choir

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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