c. 1300, queor "part of the church where the choir sings," from Old French cuer, quer "(architectural) choir of a church; chorus of singers" (13c., Modern French choeur), from Latin chorus "choir" (see chorus). Meaning "band of singers" in English is from c. 1400, quyre. Re-spelled mid-17c. in an attempt to match classical forms, but the pronunciation has not changed.

also choir boy, "member of a boys' choir," 1769, from choir + boy. As a type of innocence, by 1885.

an early form and later variant spelling of choir (q.v.), Middle English, from Old French quer, queor, variants of cuer, and compare Medieval Latin quorus, variant of chorus.

"member of a choir, singer in a chorus," mid-14c., queristre, from Anglo-French cueristre, variant of cueriste, from Church Latin chorista, from Latin chorus (see chorus) + -ster. Modern form is from late 16c.; compare choir.

early 14c., controve, contreve, "to invent, devise, plan;" late 14c., "to manage by a plan or scheme," from Old French controver (Modern French controuver) "to find out, contrive, imagine," from Late Latin contropare "to compare" (via a figure of speech), from an assimilated form of Latin com "with, together" (see con-) + tropus "song, musical mode," from Greek tropos "figure of speech" (from PIE root *trep- "to turn").

Sense evolution (in French) was from "invent with ingenuity" to "invent falsely." Spelling in English was altered by the same unexplained 15c. sound change that also affected briar, friar, choir. Related: Contrived; contriving.

"pertaining to or characteristic of a chorus or choir," in music, "designed for vocal (as opposed to instrumental) performance," 1580s, from French choral or directly from Medieval Latin choralis "belonging to a chorus or choir," from Latin chorus (see chorus).

1828, "sacred choral song; musical composition in harmony, suited for performance by a choir," from German Choral "metrical hymn in Reformed church," shortened from Choralgesang "choral song," translating Medieval Latin cantus choralis, from Latin choralis "belonging to a chorus or choir," from chorus (see chorus). The -e was added to indicate stress. Meaning "group of singers performing choral music" is from 1942.

"of or pertaining to a chorus," 1749, from Latin choricus, from Greek khorikos, from khoros "round dance; dancing-place; band of dancers; choir" (see chorus). Related: Chorical (1690s).

"a leader or director of a church choir or congregation in singing," 1610s, from Late Latin praecentor "a leader in singing," from Latin praecantare "to sing before," from prae "before" (see pre-) + canere "to sing" (from PIE root *kan- "to sing"). For change of vowel, see biennial.