# orchestra

Pronunciation: US say "OR-kuh-struh" /ˈɔɹkəstɹə/; UK say "AW-kuh-struh" /ˈɔːkəstɹə/

## Noun

1. A large group of musicians who perform together on various instruments, usually including strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion; also, the instruments the group plays.
   - Simple: A big group of musicians who play music together on many different instruments.
   - _The orchestra rehearsed the symphony for weeks before opening night._
   - _Several orchestras across Europe commissioned new works from the young composer._
2. In a theater or concert hall, the area directly in front of the stage and below it, where the musicians sit and other performers sometimes also appear.
   - Simple: The space in a theater where the musicians sit, just below the front of the stage.
   - _The conductor stepped down into the orchestra and raised his baton._
   - _During intermission, a soloist climbed out of the orchestra onto the stage._
3. A semicircular space in front of the stage in ancient Greek and Hellenistic theaters, used by the chorus.
   - Simple: A half-circle space in front of the stage where the chorus performed in ancient Greek theaters.
   - _The chorus entered the orchestra and began their ode to the gods._
   - _Stone seats rose in a curve above the orchestra where the performers gathered._

## Origin

Borrowed from Latin orchēstra, which was itself taken from Ancient Greek ὀρχήστρα (orkhḗstra), a derivative of ὀρχέομαι (orkhéomai, "to dance").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/orchestra (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).