orchestra — A large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, typically including strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: A large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, typically including strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈɔːrkɪstrə/
Example Sentences
- My cat thinks he's conducting an orchestra when he knocks things off the table with his paws.
- The orchestra rehearsed for months before their debut performance at Carnegie Hall.
- When the orchestra played the wedding march, even the groom's mother-in-law started crying tears of joy.
orchestra
NOUN[/ˈɔːrkɪstrə/]
A large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, typically including strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion
a conductor raises his baton high while facing dozens of musicians arranged in curved rows. Musicians hold violins, cellos, flutes, trumpets, and drums all positioned strategically by instrument type. As the conductor's baton moves downward, all the musicians begin playing their instruments in perfect synchronization. Violinists draw their bows across strings while brass players lift horns to their lips. The audience sits captivated as beautiful music fills the grand hall from this coordinated musical performance. a large group of musicians playing together on various instruments in organized harmony
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Orchestra derives from Ancient Greek, originating from the semicircular dancing space in front of the stage in Greek theatres where the chorus performed. The word evolved from orcheisthai, meaning 'to dance,' and gradually came to refer to the ensemble of musicians performing in that space, eventually developing into the modern sense of a large instrumental ensemble.
Breakdown
orcheisthai (to dance) + -tra (agent or place suffix), literally meaning 'a place for dancing' or 'that which dances.'
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat thinks he's conducting an orchestra when he knocks things off the table with his paws.”
“The orchestra rehearsed for months before their debut performance at Carnegie Hall.”
“When the orchestra played the wedding march, even the groom's mother-in-law started crying tears of joy.”
“The youth orchestra performed beautifully despite their conductor's nervous hiccups.”
📚Related Words
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