Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Choir
Choir
,Noun.
[OE.
quer
, OF. cuer
, F. chœur
, fr. L. chorus
a choral dance, chorus, choir, fr. Gr. [GREEK], orig. dancing place; prob. akin to [GREEK] inclosure, L. hortus
garden, and E. yard
. See Chorus
.] 1.
A band or organized company of singers, especially in church service.
[Formerly written also
quire
.] 2.
That part of a church appropriated to the singers.
3.
(Arch.)
The chancel.
Choir organ
(Mus.)
, one of the three or five distinct organs included in the full organ, each separable from the rest, but all controlled by one performer; a portion of the full organ, complete in itself, and more practicable for ordinary service and in the accompanying of the vocal choir.
– Choir screen
,
Choir wall
(Arch.)
, a screen or low wall separating the choir from the aisles.
– Choir service
, the service of singing performed by the choir.
T. Warton.
Webster 1828 Edition
Choir
CHOIR
, n.1.
A collection of singers, especially in divine service, in a church.2.
Any collection of singers.3.
That part of a church appropriated for the singers, separated from the chancel and the nave. In congregational and some other churches, the singers are placed in certain seats in the galleries.4.
In nunneries, a large hall adjoining to the body of the church, separated by a grate, where the nuns sing the office.Definition 2024
choir
choir
See also: chóir
English
Alternative forms
- quire (archaic)
Noun
choir (plural choirs)
- Singing group; group of people who sing together; company of people who are trained to sing together.
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 5, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
- Then everybody once more knelt, and soon the blessing was pronounced. The choir and the clergy trooped out slowly, […], down the nave to the western door. […] At a seemingly immense distance the surpliced group stopped to say the last prayer.
- The church choir practices Thursday nights.
-
- The part of a church where the choir assembles for song.
- 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 5, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
- Here, in the transept and choir, where the service was being held, one was conscious every moment of an increasing brightness; colours glowing vividly beneath the circular chandeliers, and the rows of small lights on the choristers' desks flashed and sparkled in front of the boys' faces, deep linen collars, and red neckbands.
-
- (Christian angelology) One of the nine ranks or orders of angels.
- Seraphim, Cherubim, and Thrones are three of the choirs of angels.
- Set of strings (one per note) for a harpsichord.
Translations
singing group
|
|
part of a church for choir assembly
a rank or order of angels
Derived terms
Related terms
Anagrams
French
Etymology
From Old French cheoir, from Vulgar Latin *cadēre, from Latin cadere, present active infinitive of cadō. Compare Franco-Provençal chêre, Occitan caire, Italian cadere.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʃwaʁ/
- Rhymes: -waʁ
Verb
choir (defective) (past participle chu)
- (literary) to fall
Conjugation
This is a defective verb, only conjugated in certain tenses.
Conjugation of choir (see also Appendix:French verbs)
| simple | compound | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| infinitive | choir | avoir chu | |||||
| gerund | — | en ayant chu | |||||
| present participle | — | ||||||
| past participle | chu /ʃy/ |
||||||
| person | singular | plural | |||||
| first | second | third | first | second | third | ||
| indicative | je (j’) | tu | il | nous | vous | ils | |
| simple tenses |
present | chois /ʃwa/ |
chois /ʃwa/ |
choit /ʃwa/ |
choyons /ʃwa.jɔ̃/ |
choyez /ʃwa.je/ |
choient /ʃwa/ |
| imperfect | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| past historic1 | chus /ʃy/ |
chus /ʃy/ |
chut /ʃy/ |
chûmes /ʃym/ |
chûtes /ʃyt/ |
churent /ʃyʁ/ |
|
| future | choirai or cherrai /ʃwa.ʁe/ or /ʃɛ.ʁe/ |
choiras or cherras /ʃwa.ʁa/ or /ʃɛ.ʁa/ |
choira or cherra /ʃwa.ʁa/ or /ʃɛ.ʁa/ |
choirons or cherrons /ʃwa.ʁɔ̃/ or /ʃɛ.ʁɔ̃/ |
choirez or cherrez /ʃwa.ʁe/ or /ʃɛ.ʁe/ |
choiront or cherront /ʃwa.ʁɔ̃/ or /ʃɛ.ʁɔ̃/ |
|
| conditional | choirais /ʃwaʁɛ/ |
choirais /ʃwaʁɛ/ |
choirait /ʃwaʁɛ/ |
choirions /ʃwaʁjɔ̃/ |
choiriez /ʃwaʁje/ |
choiraient /ʃwaʁɛ/ |
|
| compound tenses |
present perfect | Use the present tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect | Use the imperfect tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| past anterior1 | Use the past historic tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| future perfect | Use the future tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| conditional perfect | Use the conditional tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| subjunctive | que je (j’) | que tu | qu’il | que nous | que vous | qu’ils | |
| simple tenses |
present | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| imperfect1 | — | — |
chût /ʃy/ |
— | — | — | |
| compound tenses |
past | Use the present subjunctive tense of avoir followed by the past participle | |||||
| pluperfect1 | Use the imperfect subjunctive tense of avoir followed by the past participle | ||||||
| imperative | – | tu | – | nous | vous | – | |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1literary tenses | |||||||