precentor

P3R1E1C3E1N1T1O1R1
/prɪˈsɛn.tə(ɹ)//priˈsɛn.təɹ/

noun

The person who leads songs or prayers in a cathedral, church, monastery, or synagogue and generally facilitates worship.

Similar
choirmastercantor
OriginFrench précenteur ← Latin praecentor →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounprecentor (plural precentors)

plural precentors · alternative præcentor · alternative precentour

  1. The person who leads songs or prayers in a cathedral, church, monastery, or synagogue and generally facilitates worship.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe musical director of a choir

Similar
choirmastercantor
Broader
musician
Also see
cantorchoirmaster

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinpraecentor
  2. Frenchprécenteur
  3. Englishprecentor

From French précenteur, from Latin praecentor, from praecentus (“sung before”), from praecinō (“to sing before”) + -or (“agent suffix”), from prae- + canĕre (“to sing”).

More words from French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with precentor

centerentercentrementorinventorpresenterrenterreenterventerstentortormentoraugmenterpreventerdissentertenterfermenterindenterdementorfermentoraccentorincenterabsenterassenterbarycentre
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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