Definition of "chorus"

(Ancient Greece, historical)

1. A group of singers and dancers in a theatrical performance or religious festival who commented on the main performance in speech or song.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • [W]ee would that the voice and dialect of the propheteſſe Pythia, reſembling the ſpeech of a Chorus in a tragedie from a ſcaffold, ſhould pronounce her anſwers not in ſimple, plaine, and triviall termes, without any grace to ſet them out, but with Poeticall magnificence of high and ſtately verſes, diſguiſed as it were with metaphors and figurative phraſes, yea, and that which more is, with ſound of flute and hautboies: […]

     1603, Plutarch, “Why the Prophetesse Pythia Giveth No Answers Now from the Oracle in Verse or Meeter”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, page 1199

2. A song performed by the singers of such a group.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • 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: […]

     1642 (indicated as 1641), John Milton, The Reason of Church-governement Urg’d against Prelaty […], London: […] E[dward] G[riffin] for Iohn Rothwell, […], 2nd book, page 39

(by extension, chiefly Britain, theater, historical) 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.  quotations

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.  examples

(by extension) A group of people in a performance who recite together.  examples

An instance of singing by a group of people.  quotations  examples

(figuratively)

1. A group of people, animals, or inanimate objects who make sounds together.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • 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.

     2017 August 9, Shane Cashman, “The Moral History of Air-Conditioning”, in The Atlantic‎

2. The noise or sound made by such a group.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • 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.

     1848, [Edward Bulwer-Lytton], chapter I, in Harold, the Last of the Saxon Kings; […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Richard Bentley, […], book I (The Norman Visitor, the Saxon King, and the Danish Prophetess), pages 18–19

   • 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.

     2011 October 1, Phil McNulty, “Everton 0 – 2 Liverpool”, in BBC Sport‎, archived from the original on 6 September 2021

(figuratively)

1. A group of people who express a unanimous opinion.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • So far, more than a dozen EU countries have either enacted a windfall tax or said they’re planning to. […] On Monday, US President Joe Biden joined the chorus, accusing oil companies of “war profiteering” and threatening them with big new levies if they fail to bring down consumer prices.

     2022 November 2, “Windfall Taxes Are All the Rage. They Shouldn’t Be.”, in The Washington Post‎

   • Donald Trump’s top political staffers at Mar-a-Lago are pressing him to move forward with his planned 2024 presidential campaign announcement next week but a chorus of allies are suggesting delaying until after the Senate runoff in Georgia in December, according to sources familiar with the matter.

     2022 November 11, Hugo Lowell, “Rift in Trump’s inner circle over 2024 presidential campaign announcement”, in The Guardian‎

2. The opinion expressed by such a group.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • On Friday, 75 scholars and clinicians signed an open letter, joining a chorus of disagreement with Berenson by arguing that “establishing marijuana as a causal link to violence at the individual level is both theoretically and empirically problematic”.

     2019 February 17, Jamiles Lartey, “Popular book on marijuana's apparent dangers is pure alarmism, experts say”, in The Guardian‎

(music)

1. 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).  examples

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

   Quotations

   • [T]he commodore, the lieutenant, and landlord, joined in the chorus, repeating this elegant ſtanza: […]

     1751, [Tobias] Smollett, “An Account of Mr. Gamaliel Pickle. […]”, in The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […], volumes (please specify |volume=I to IV), London: Harrison and Co., […], page 10, column 1

   • 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!

     1862, T[homas] Oliphant, John Thomas, arranger, “No. 15. Nos Galan. New Year’s Eve. [Deck the Halls]”, in Welsh Melodies: With Welsh and English Poetry, London: Addison, Hollier & Lucas, stanza 2, page 140

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

4. 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.  examples

5. (often attributively) A feature or setting in electronic music that makes one instrument sound like many.  examples

6. (Christianity) A simple, often repetitive, song intended to be sung in a group during informal worship.  examples

7. (jazz) The improvised solo section in a small group performance.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • 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.

     2002, Thomas E. Larson, History and Tradition of Jazz, Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing

   • Jazz solos in the 1920s are much more about variety and discontinuity than unity and coherence. The explosive introduction, the instrutable and tender scat-clarinet dialogue, the spritely piano chorus, and the majestic trumpet chorus—contrast is far more important than unity.

     2014, Thomas Brothers, “‘Some Kind of a God’”, in Louis Armstrong: Master of Modernism, New York, N.Y., London: W[illiam] W[arder] Norton & Company, page 299

(transitive)

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

   Quotations

   • In the middle of the little woody bay, or rather basin, which received the scanty waters of the stream, an armed sloop lay at anchor, and he heard the din of license and carousal on board,—the hasty oath—the hearty laugh—and the boisterous song, chorussed by a score of rough voices, which made the bay re-echo.

     1826, Allan Cunningham, chapter V, in Paul Jones; a Romance. […], volume II, Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd; London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, & Green, page 125

   • Shortly afterwards, all England was engaged in chorussing his favourite ditty— […]

     1826, [Walter Scott], chapter XIV, in Woodstock; Or, The Cavalier. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, page 362

   • […] I could not even affect to join in the stereotyped "Oh, thank you!" which was chorused around me.

     1893, Lewis Carroll [pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], “Jabbering and Jam”, in Sylvie and Bruno Concluded, London, New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., page 157

   • But soon they streamed ashore, fresh-faced young sailormen in small and large parties directed by ship's officers and Russian embassy guides. They drove to London, to Salisbury Cathedral, to Windsor Castle, chorusing sea chanteys and waving at girls.

     1953 June 22, “Great Britain: Two-way Scrutiny”, in Thomas Stanley Matthews, editor, Time‎, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc.

   • The Cottons chorused grateful acknowledgement.

     1955, Evelyn E. Smith, “Weather Prediction”, in Isaac Asimov, Terry Carr, Martin H[arry] Greenberg, editors, 100 Great Fantasy Short Stories, New York, N.Y.: Avon Books, published 1984

   • From Peking to Berlin the rulers of the Communist world dutifully chorused delight at [Nikita] Khrushchev's coup.

     1957 December 15, “Satellites: The Quavering Chorus”, in Time‎, New York, N.Y.: Time Inc.

   • Again the women chorussed their approval.

     1981, Wole Soyinka, chapter XIII, in Aké: The Years of Childhood (The Vintage Library of Contemporary World Literature), Aventura Books edition, New York, N.Y.: Vintage, published September 1983, page 194

   • The evil spirit caught up with him, unwound his trunk that was like a python, wrapped it around Pig and carried him back in triumph to the cave. The devilish host chorused a paean of victory as they swarmed back.

     1982–1984, Wu Cheng’en, “When the Heart Spirit Stays in the Home the Demons Submit; the Mother of Wood Helps Bring Monsters to the Truth”, in W[illiam] J[ohn] F[rancis] Jenner, transl., Journey to the West, volume III, Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, published 1997, page 178

   • Elsewhere, within the walls of other charity houses, orphans' voices chorused hymns or recitations from Scripture, […]

     1999, Simon Schama, “Amsterdam Anatomized”, in Rembrandt’s Eyes (A Borzoi Book), New York: N.Y.: Alfred A[braham] Knopf, part 4 (The Prodigal), section i (The City in Five Senses), page 315

   • I also remember a Children's Day celebration organised by our local academy where the little Westerners performed a piece called The Just War: […] They jumped right up and, while they were suspended in the air, drove their bayonets into an imaginary enemy's throat, chorusing 'Kill! kill! kill!'

     2009, Dai Sijie, chapter 3, in Adriana Hunter, transl., Once on a Moonless Night (A Borzoi Book), 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A[braham] Knopf, page 93

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

   Quotations

   • "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.

     1849 March 17, Edgar Allan Poe, “Hop-Frog”, in The Works of the Late Edgar Allan Poe: […], volumes II (Poems and Miscellanies), New York, N.Y.: J. S. Redfield, […], published 1850, page 458

3. (rare) To provide (a song) with a chorus or refrain.  quotations

   Quotations

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

     1701 January (indicated as 1700), [Daniel Defoe], “Part II”, in The True-Born Englishman. A Satyr, [London: s.n.], page 55

(intransitive)

1. To sing the chorus or refrain of a song.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • Malcolm sung an Erse song, the chorus of which was 'Hatyin foam foam eri', with words of his own. […] the boatmen and Mr M’Queen chorused, and all went well.

     1785, James Boswell, The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides with Samuel Johnson, LL.D, Wednesday, 8th September, 1773

2. To sing, express, or say in, or as if in, unison.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • 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— […]

     1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XXX. Mr. Lovelace, to John Belford, Esq.”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume VI, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; […], page 99

   • Six State Commissioners of Education gloomily chorused about retrenchments, pay cuts and shut-down schools in Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, Washington, Massachusetts and Maine.

     1933 August 14, “No Slice for Teachers”, in Time

   • The animals crowded round the van. "Good-bye, Boxer!" they chorused, "good-bye!"

     1945 August 17, George Orwell [pseudonym; Eric Arthur Blair], chapter IX, in Animal Farm […], London: Secker & Warburg; republished as Animal Farm (eBook no. 0100011h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, March 2008

   • Without an abatement agreement there would have been no chorusing from the government about the great success and triumph that Fontainebleau represented for Britain.

     1985 July 1, George Robertson, Hansard‎, archived from the original on 12 February 2019

   • Others in the crowded bus, having nothing better to do, took up the cry, and soon many of the higglers were chorusing about the ugliness of the fisherman playing dominoes.

     1986, Anthony Winkler, chapter 2, in The Painted Canoe, University of Chicago Press, page 20

   • When I asked that question in the House recently, a number of Tel Aviv's little echoes in the Chamber chorused that Israel was a democracy.

     1998 November 25, George Galloway, Hansard

3. To echo in unison another person's words.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

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

     1947 October 20, “Miracle Man”, in Time

4. Of animals: to make cries or sounds together.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • 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.

     1987, Tanith Lee, Night's Sorceries, New York: Daw Books, page 122

   • The hens are now sleeping in rows on their perches in the coops, and the frogs are out of the water and chorusing away along the bed of the whole torrent, from source to mouth.

     1998, Italo Calvino, The Path to the Spiders' Nests, translated by Archibald Colquhoun, revised by Martin McLaughlin, Hopewell, NJ: The Ecco Press, 1998, Chapter Two, p. 51