orchestra

See also: orchestră

English

Etymology

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

    Pronunciation

    • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɔɹkəstɹə/
    • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɔːkəstɹə/
    • Audio (UK):(file)
    • Audio (General American):(file)
    • Audio (US):(file)
    • Hyphenation: or‧ches‧tra

    Noun

    orchestra (plural orchestras or (rare) orchestrae)

    1. (music) A large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, usually including some from strings, woodwind, brass and/or percussion; the instruments played by such a group.
      The orchestra plays music for the dancers to dance to in the 19th century-styled dance hall.
      • 1941 February, Voyageur, “The Railways of Greece”, in Railway Magazine, page 67:
        It requires quite an orchestra to get a train to start; the guard blows his horn, the stationmaster rings a large bell, and the engine whistles.
      • 2015, Aaron Sorkin, Walter Isaacson, Steve Jobs, spoken by Steve Jobs (Michael Fassbender):
        Musicians play their instruments. I play the orchestra.
    2. (Ancient Greece, theater) A semicircular space in front of the stage used by the chorus in Ancient Greek and Hellenistic theatres.
    3. The area in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians sit, immediately in front of and below the stage, sometimes (also) used by other performers.

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    Translations

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

    Anagrams

    French

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ɔʁ.kɛs.tʁa/

    Verb

    orchestra

    1. third-person singular past historic of orchestrer

    Anagrams

    Italian

    Etymology 1

    From Ancient Greek ὀρχήστρα (orkhḗstra).

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /orˈkɛs.tra/
    • Rhymes: -ɛstra
    • Hyphenation: or‧chè‧stra

    Noun

    orchestra f (plural orchestre)

    1. orchestra
    2. band
    3. orchestra pit
    Derived terms
    Descendants

    Etymology 2

    Verb

    orchestra

    1. inflection of orchestrare:
      1. third-person singular present indicative
      2. second-person singular imperative

    Further reading

    • orchestra in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

    Latin

    Etymology

      Borrowed from Ancient Greek ὀρχήστρα (orkhḗstra).

      Pronunciation

      Noun

      orchēstra f (genitive orchēstrae); first declension

      1. orchestra (area in front of a stage)

      Declension

      First-declension noun.

      singular plural
      nominative orchēstra orchēstrae
      genitive orchēstrae orchēstrārum
      dative orchēstrae orchēstrīs
      accusative orchēstram orchēstrās
      ablative orchēstrā orchēstrīs
      vocative orchēstra orchēstrae

      Descendants

      References

      • orchestra”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
      • orchestra”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
      • orchestra in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
      • orchestra”, in The Perseus Project (1999) Perseus Encyclopedia[1]
      • orchestra”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898), Harper’s Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
      • orchestra”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin

      Piedmontese

      Pronunciation

      • IPA(key): /urˈkestra/

      Noun

      orchestra f (plural orchestre)

      1. orchestra

      Romanian

      Etymology 1

      Borrowed from French orchestrer.

      Verb

      a orchestra (third-person singular present orchestrează, past participle orchestrat) 1st conjugation

      1. to orchestrate
      Conjugation

      Etymology 2

      Noun

      orchestra f

      1. definite nominative/accusative singular of orchestră