Meaning & use
choir girl
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Meanings
nouncountable
A girl or young woman who sings in a choir, especially a church choir.
Grammar: Countable: use a/an or the plural choir girls. Often preceded by a, the, or a possessive.
Patterns
- a choir girl
- the choir girls
- choir girl at a church
Every Sunday, the choir girl stood in the front row and sang the opening hymn.
She became a choir girl at the age of eight and never missed a rehearsal.
The choir girls wore white robes and carried candles during the evening service.
nouncountable
A female singer in any organized singing group, not necessarily religious.
Grammar: Same grammar as the first sense; the context often makes clear whether it is a church or a school or community choir.
Patterns
- a school choir girl
- the choir girl sang
As a school choir girl, she learned to read music before she could play an instrument.
The community choir girls practiced every Tuesday evening in the town hall.
Word forms
| plural | choir girls |
|---|
Common combinations
- church choir girl
- The church choir girl had a solo in the Christmas service.
- young choir girl
- A young choir girl nervously held her music sheet.
- choir girl robe
- Each choir girl robe was embroidered with a small cross.
- choir girl rehearsal
- Choir girl rehearsal starts at four o'clock on Fridays.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chorister
- Chorister is the formal term for any choir member, male or female, and is more common in British English; choir girl specifically means a female singer and is less formal.
- singer
- Singer is a general word for anyone who sings, while choir girl specifies that she sings as part of a choir.
- vocalist
- Vocalist often refers to a professional or solo singer, not usually a young choir member.
Word family
- choir noun
- A group of singers who perform together, especially in a church.
- choirboy noun
- A boy or young man who sings in a choir.
- choirmaster noun
- A person who conducts or trains a choir.
Commonly confused: choir girl or chorus girl?
choir girl vs chorus girl
A chorus girl is a female dancer and singer in a musical theater show, not a church or school choir member.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'choir girl' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 correctly describes a girl singing in a choir. Option 1 is wrong because a band is not a choir. Option 2 is wrong because 'choir girl' refers to a female. Option 3 is wrong because a choir girl sings, not plays drums in an orchestra.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “choir girl”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.