chorus

Meaning

Noun

1. A group of singers and dancers in a theatrical performance or religious festival who commented on the main performance in speech or song.
2. A song performed by the singers of such a group.
3. An actor who reads the prologue and epilogue of a play, and sometimes also acts as a commentator or narrator; also, a portion of a play read by this actor.
4. A group of singers performing together; a choir; specifically, such a group singing together in a musical, an opera, etc., as distinct from the soloists; an ensemble.
5. A group of people in a performance who recite together.
6. An instance of singing by a group of people.
7. A group of people, animals, or inanimate objects who make sounds together.
8. The noise or sound made by such a group.
9. A group of people who express a unanimous opinion.
10. The opinion expressed by such a group.
11. A piece of music, especially one in a larger work such as an opera, written to be sung by a choir in parts (for example, by sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses).
12. A part of a song which is repeated between verses to emphasize the song's content; a refrain.
13. The main part of a pop song played after the introduction.
14. A group of organ pipes or organ stops intended to be played simultaneously; a compound stop; also, the sound made by such pipes or stops.
15. A feature or setting in electronic music that makes one instrument sound like many.
16. A simple, often repetitive, song intended to be sung in a group during informal worship.
17. The improvised solo section in a small group performance.

Verb

1. To sing (a song), express (a sentiment), or recite or say (words) in chorus.
2. To express concurrence with (something said by another person); to echo.
3. To provide (a song) with a chorus or refrain.
4. To sing the chorus or refrain of a song.
5. To sing, express, or say in, or as if in, unison.
6. To echo in unison another person's words.
7. Of animals: to make cries or sounds together.

Synonyms

choir

refrain

chorus line

Greek chorus

coir

burden

ensemble

melody

second

2nd

shindig

simultaneous

singer

🧑‍🎤

tag

theme

unison

corps de ballet

sing in chorus

singing in a chorus

dancing

minor chorus

choristers

corps-de-ballet

part

angelic choir

band

choral

chorale

cotillion

dance

💃

Hyphenated as

chor‧us

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈkɔːɹəs/

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from Medieval Latin chorus (“church choir”), Latin chorus (“group of dancers and singers; dance”), from Ancient Greek χορός (khorós, “group of dancers and singers, choir, chorus; dance accompanied by song; round dance”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰer- (“to encircle, enclose”) or *ǵʰoros. Doublet of choir and hora.
The plural form chori is from Latin chorī, from Ancient Greek χοροί (khoroí).
The verb is derived from the noun.