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REFERENCE

orchestra

n.
US //ˈɔɹkəstɹə// UK //ˈɔːkɛstɹɐ// or·ches·tra
  1. 1 group of musicians (n.)
    B1 Intermediate Music

    a large group of people who play instruments together, usually including violins, flutes, and drums.

    a large ensemble of musicians playing various instruments, typically including strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion.

    Example

    The orchestra practiced for weeks before their big concert at the town hall.

    Example

    The conductor led the orchestra through a demanding repertoire that showcased the technical precision of the woodwind section.
  2. 2 seating area for musicians (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Theatre

    the area in a theatre, usually in front of and below the stage, where the musicians sit.

    the designated space in a theatre or concert hall where the musicians perform, often situated in a pit below stage level.

    Example

    From our seats in the balcony, we could look down into the orchestra.

    Example

    The acoustics of the newly renovated orchestra were designed to project sound clearly even to the furthest rows of the gallery.
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  1. 3 Ancient Greek theatre space (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Academic Theatre

    the circular or semicircular space in an ancient Greek theatre where the singers and dancers performed.

    the circular or semicircular space in front of the proscenium in an ancient Greek theatre, primarily used by the chorus.

    Example

    In ancient Greece, the chorus performed their dances in the orchestra.

    Example

    Archaeological excavations revealed that the orchestra of the Hellenistic theatre was originally paved with decorative marble.

Origin

Via Latin orchēstra, itself lifted from Ancient Greek ὀρχήστρα (orkhḗstra), the space where dancers moved in the Greek theatre; the noun is formed from the verb ὀρχέομαι, "to dance".

Word family

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