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cantor

cantor

8 7.7
Person who leads singing in a synagogue or church during services
  • noun
  • /ˈkæntər/
: cantor
  • His eyes were fixed on the spindles of the Torah that poked above the cantor's white shoulder.

Examples

  • After that, the cantor sang again, and Tuvia began to cry.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • My grandfather, a golden cantor, said he would die singing, and he did.

    Academic text (2011)
  • 25 years he has been the cantor of our shul.

  • When the Torah study group assembled at the cantor's long mahogany table, no one sat at the head or the foot.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • At exactly two o'clock, Mrs. Cantor marched across the bima to the lectern.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • "Shloimie, the eighty-two-year-old chazzan (cantor), sighed deeply several times when he overheard the conversation.

    Academic text (2001)
  • The cantor led the congregation in song during the Friday evening service.

  • Every Sunday, the cantor would chant hymns that filled the church with joy.

  • During the wedding ceremony, the cantor sang beautifully, enhancing the sacred atmosphere.

Synonyms

conductor
vscantor
66 4.4

A person who leads musicians in groups like an orchestra or choir

leads singing specifically in religious worship rather than general performances
choirmaster
vscantor
2 6.5

A person who leads a group of singers, often at church

leads singing in worship settings more generally not only choir direction
chanter
vscantor
1 7.1

A person who sings or chants to lead a group in a ceremony

occupies the leading role in worship singing rather than simply participating
chazzan
vscantor
1 9.9

A person who leads prayers and sings in a synagogue

is the worship singing leader for both synagogue and church rather than only Jewish services
chazan
vscantor
1 9.9

A person who leads the singing of prayers in a synagogue

is the general leader for singing in both synagogue and church settings
precentor
vscantor
1 9.9

A person who leads the singing in a church choir

leads singing for worship broadly not limited to directing a choir
hazzan
vscantor
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A person who leads singing and prayers in a Jewish synagogue

focuses on leading singing in worship without implying extra religious duties
hazan
vscantor
  • Specialized
9.9

A person who leads songs and prayers in a synagogue, often singing alone

is a broader worship leader used in both synagogue and church services
hymnist
vscantor
7.7

A person who sings or leads religious songs during a church service

leads singing or chanting across religious traditions not limited to hymns

How Responsible

choirmaster
2 6.5
cantor
8 7.7
congregant
12 6.4

Surface Forms

cantor singular
cantors plural

Etymology

The word cantor comes from the old Latin word cantare, which means 'to sing', and it originally meant a 'singer'. So a cantor today is the person who leads the singing or chanting in a church or synagogue.