join the choir invisible

verb

To die.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbjoin the choir invisible (third-person singular simple present joins the choir invisible, present participle joining the choir invisible, simple past and past participle joined the choir invisible)

present singular third person joins the choir invisible · participle present joining the choir invisible · participle past joined the choir invisible · past joined the choir invisible

  1. euphemistichumorousintransitiveTo die.

    Made me wonder whether I should invest in a portable MRI unit to monitor birds about to join the choir invisible for any signs of brain activity.

    2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 30
    1 more example

    This parrot is no more. It has ceased to be. It's expired and gone to see its maker. This is a late parrot. It's a stiff. Bereft of life, it rests in peace. If you hadn't nailed it to the perch it would be pushing up the daisies. It's run down the curtain and joined the choir invisible. This is an ex-parrot.

    1969 December 7, “Full Frontal Nudity”, in Monty Python's Flying Circus, season 1, episode 8, spoken by Mr Praline (John Cleese), Dead Parrot sketch

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
die

Origin

From a poem by George Eliot, "O May I Join the Choir Invisible" (1867), further popularized by the "Dead Parrot" sketch (1969) from Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

join the choir invisible. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/join%20the%20choir%20invisible

MLA

“join the choir invisible.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/join%20the%20choir%20invisible. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “join the choir invisible,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/join%20the%20choir%20invisible.

Source: join the choir invisible on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.