cantor

C3A1N1T1O1R1
/ˈkæntɔː(ɹ)//ˈkæntə(ɹ)/

noun

A singer, especially someone who takes a special role of singing or song leading at a ceremony.

“The cantor's place in church is on the right of the choir.”

Similar
choirmasterprecentorhazan
OriginLatin cantor ← Proto-Italic *kanō ← Proto-Indo-European *kh₂néti →
Less commonScrabble 8
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Word of the Day · Aug 29, 2023

Meanings

cantor1

nouncantor (plural cantors)

plural cantors · alternative obsolete cantour

  1. A singer, especially someone who takes a special role of singing or song leading at a ceremony.

    The cantor's place in church is on the right of the choir.

  2. JudaismA prayer leader in a Jewish service; a hazzan.

Cantor2

proper nounCantor (plural Cantors)

plural Cantors

  1. A surname.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe musical director of a choir

Similar
choirmasterprecentor
Broader
musician

nounthe official of a synagogue who conducts the liturgical part of the service and sings or chants the prayers intended to be performed as solos

Similar
hazan
Broader
spiritual leader
Also see
choirmasterhazanprecentorsinger

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*keh₂n-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*kh₂néti
  3. Proto-Italic*kanō
  4. Latincanō
  5. Latincantor
  6. Englishcantor

Borrowed from Latin cantor, agent noun from canere (“to sing”) + -tor (agent suffix). Doublet of chanter.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech kantor, kantorka
  • kantorsinger
  • kantorkasinger
Danish kantor
  • kantorsinger
Dutch voorzanger
  • voorzangersinger
Finnish kanttori, esilaulaja
  • kanttorisinger
  • esilaulajasinger
German Kantor, Kantorin
  • Kantorsinger
  • Kantorinsinger
  • Vorsängersinger
  • Vorsängerinsinger
Hebrew חזן \ חַזָּן
  • חזן \ חַזָּן (khazán)singer
Hungarian kántor
  • kántorsinger
Italian cantore
  • cantoresinger
Norwegian Bokmål kantor
  • kantorsinger
Polish kantor, chazan
  • kantorsinger
  • chazansinger
Swedish kantor
  • kantorsinger
Yiddish חזן
  • חזן (khazan)singer

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with cantor

bantercanterchanterpanterantre
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

canter

Anagrams

contracartonCatronCarnotcraton
Cite this entry
APA

cantor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cantor

MLA

“cantor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cantor. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cantor,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cantor.

Source: cantor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.