choir invisible

1 9.9

People who have died thought of as a group

noun
/kwʌɪər ɪnˈvɪzəbl/

Archaic

: coro invisible

The poet dreamed of joining the choir invisible, leaving a lasting legacy behind.

Examples

After his passing, friends spoke as if he had joined the choir invisible.
Few among us have not lost a loved one to the choir invisible.
We remember our loved ones in the choir invisible.
The choir invisible sings in our hearts.
After his passing, we knew he had joined the choir invisible, leaving behind cherished memories.
The poet often writes about the choir invisible, reflecting on the lives of those who have gone before us.
In times of grief, it's comforting to think of our loved ones in the choir invisible, now at peace.

Synonyms

dead

vschoir invisible

110 1.0

People who are no longer alive

is euphemistic and poetic in tone rather than plain usage

Surface Forms

choir invisible singular

choirs invisible plural

Morphology

choir + invisible

Knowing 'choir' (a group, often singing) and 'invisible' (not seen) allows a learner to infer a phrase meaning a group that cannot be seen, so there is a transparent compositional element. However, the specific euphemistic reference to the dead is poetic/cultural and not directly predictable from the words alone, so a B1 learner would likely miss the precise meaning without exposure.

Etymology

Choir invisible paints the image of a hidden group of singers: a choir that is invisible, like people you cannot see. One popular idea is that it shows those who have died still 'singing' in memory, so the phrase means 'the dead' as a group.