or‧a‧to‧ri‧o /ˌɒrəˈtɔːriəʊ $ ˌɔːrəˈtɔːrioʊ, ˌɑː-/
noun (
plural oratorios)
[countable][
Date: 1600-1700;
Language: Italian;
Origin: from the Oratorio di San Filippo Neri, church in Rome where such music was first performed]
a long piece of music in which a large group of people sing
[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲