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chorus

noun
/ˈkɔːɹəs/UK/ˈkoɹəs/CA/ˈkoːɹəs//ˈkɔɹəs/US

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”); The verb is derived from the noun. Doublet of choir, chore, and hora.

  1. derived from χορός — “group of dancers and singers, choir, chorus; dance accompanied by song; round dance”
  2. borrowed from chorus — “group of dancers and singers; dance”
  3. borrowed from chorus — “church choir”

Definitions

  1. A group of singers and dancers in a theatrical performance or religious festival who…

    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.

    • And the Apocalyps of Saint Iohn is the majeſtick image of a high and ſtately Tragedy, ſhutting up and intermingling her ſolemn Scenes and Acts with a ſevenfold Chorus of halleluja's and harping ſymphonies: […]

  3. An actor who reads the prologue and epilogue of a play, and sometimes also acts as a…

    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.

    • Enter Chorus. / Cut is the branch that might haue growne ful ſtraight, / And burned is Apolloes Laurel bough, / That ſometime grew within this learned man: […]
    • Ya're as good as a Chorus my lord.
    • Palinode. / Amo[rphus]. From ſpaniſh ſhrugs, french faces, ſmirks, irps, and all affected humours: / Chorvs. Good Mercvry defend vs.
  4. ›+ 21 more definitions

    1. A group of singers performing together

      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.

      • The performance of the chorus was awe-inspiring and exhilarating.
      • They are shadowed by a robed chorus of Beckettian sages--Homer (Joseph Grimm), Hesiod (Gary Kelley), Herodotos (Daniel Parker) and Thucydides (Michael Rivkin)--given to Joseph Campbell-like pronouncements on the power of myth.

    2. A group of people in a performance who recite together.

    3. An instance of singing by a group of people.

      • But once out of sight of those fearful precincts, the psalm was forgotten, and again broke, loud, clear, and silvery, the joyous chorus.

    4. A group of people, animals, or inanimate objects who make sounds together.

      • a chorus of crickets    a chorus of whiners
      • More than just an appliance, the air conditioner is a memento mori. […] As summer proceeds, listen to the chorus of machines humming in the windows, outside the houses, atop the office buildings.

    5. The noise or sound made by such a group.

      • a chorus of shouts and catcalls
      • As she came to the last line [of a song], her soft low voice seemed to awaken a chorus of sprightly horns and trumpets, and certain other wind instruments peculiar to the music of that day.
      • At the end of a frantic first 45 minutes, there was still time for Charlie Adam to strike the bar from 20 yards before referee [Martin] Atkinson departed to a deafening chorus of jeering from Everton's fans.

    6. A group of people who express a unanimous opinion.

    7. The opinion expressed by such a group.

    8. A piece of music, especially one in a larger work such as an opera, written to be sung by…

      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).

    9. A part of a song which is repeated between verses to emphasize the song's content

      A part of a song which is repeated between verses to emphasize the song's content; a refrain.

      • The catchiest part of most songs is the chorus.
      • [T]he commodore, the lieutenant, and landlord, joined in the chorus, repeating this elegant ſtanza: […]
      • See the flowing bowl before us, / Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la! / Strike the harp and join the chorus. / Fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!

    10. The main part of a pop song played after the introduction.

    11. A group of organ pipes or organ stops intended to be played simultaneously

      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.

    12. A feature or setting in electronic music that makes one instrument sound like many.

    13. A simple, often repetitive, song intended to be sung in a group during informal worship.

    14. The improvised solo section in a small group performance.

      • Of additional interest is the riff in the second chorus, which was later copied by Joe Garland and recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra as "In the Mood," becoming the biggest hit of the Swing Era.

    15. To sing (a song), express (a sentiment), or recite or say (words) in chorus.

      • Shortly afterwards, all England was engaged in chorussing his favourite ditty— […]
      • […] I could not even affect to join in the stereotyped "Oh, thank you!" which was chorused around me.

    16. To express concurrence with (something said by another person)

      To express concurrence with (something said by another person); to echo.

      • "Yes," said the king; "Come, Hop-Frog, lend us your assistance. Characters, my fine fellow; we stand in need of characters—all of us—ha! ha! ha!" and as this was seriously meant for a joke, his laugh was chorused by the seven.

    17. To provide (a song) with a chorus or refrain.

      • Let ev'ry Song be Choruſt with his Name. / And Muſick pay her Tribute to his Fame.

    18. To sing the chorus or refrain of a song.

    19. To sing, express, or say in, or as if in, unison.

      • Then they all chorus'd upon me—Such a character as Miſs Harlowe's! cry'd one—A lady of ſo much generoſity and good ſenſe! another— […]
      • Six State Commissioners of Education gloomily chorused about retrenchments, pay cuts and shut-down schools in Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, Washington, Massachusetts and Maine.
      • The animals crowded round the van. "Good-bye, Boxer!" they chorused, "good-bye!"

    20. To echo in unison another person's words.

      • Then she shouted: "Viva our Lady of Grace," and the crowd chorused.

    21. Of animals

      Of animals: to make cries or sounds together.

      • Then the cocks began to crow in the town beneath the hill, and the birds chorused in the fields, and a pale yellow poppy colored the east.

The neighborhood

Derived

bird chorus, chorus frog, chorus girl, chorusless, choruslike, chorus line, chorusmaster, cyberchorus, cyclic chorus, dawn chorus, Greek chorus, in chorus, Nikon chorus, post-chorus, prechorus, semichorus, verse-chorus, choruser, out-chorus

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for chorus. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA