orchestra
UK[ˈɔːkɪstrə]US[ˈɔːrkɪstrə]
n
A large group of musicians who play together on various instruments, typically including strings, woodwind, brass, and percussion.
n
The part of a theater or concert hall where the musicians sit, typically in front of the stage and on a lower level.
Etymology
The word 'orchestra' entered English in the early 17th century via Latin from the Greek 'orkhēstra'. In ancient Greek theaters, the 'orkhēstra' was the semicircular space in front of the stage where the chorus danced and sang, derived from the verb 'orkheisthai', meaning 'to dance'. This Greek verb itself may trace back to the Proto-Indo-European root ergh-, implying a sense of 'to set in motion'. The term's meaning evolved from a designated dancing area to the place for musicians in a theater, and finally, by the 18th century, to the group of musicians themselves, completing a journey from a physical space defined by movement to the collective body that creates musical motion.
Analysis
The word is a loanword from Latin and Greek, adopted as a whole unit into English. Its components are not productively segmented within modern English spelling.
Examples
The symphony orchestra performed Beethoven's Fifth with great passion.
We had excellent seats in the front row of the orchestra.
She has been a conductor for a professional chamber orchestra for a decade.