oratorio
oratory, small chapel
noun oh-rah-TOH-ryoh Rare
Origin: From Latin oratorium, from orare (to pray).
Also means
oratorio (musical form)
Usage Note
Oratorio has two main senses: a small private chapel or prayer room within a house or institution, and the large-scale musical form for voices and orchestra (like Handel's Messiah) performed without staging. Context usually distinguishes them. The English word 'oratory' (skill in public speaking) is oratoria in Spanish, not oratorio.
Examples
"El coro interpretó un oratorio de Bach."
Natural Translation
The choir performed a Bach oratorio.
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