1. The ground floor (in the United States).
2. The floor next above the ground floor (in Britain).

The floor of a building that is at or nearest to the level of the ground around the building; SYN. first floor, ground level.

ETYM Latin orchestra, Greek, the place for the chorus of dancers, from korein to dance: cf. French orchestre.
1. Instrumentalists including string players.
2. Main floor in a theater.
Group of musicians playing together on different instruments. In Western music, an orchestra typically contains various bowed string instruments and sections of wind, brass, and percussion. The size and format may vary according to the needs of composers.
The term was originally used in Greek theater for the semicircular space in front of the stage, and was adopted in 17th-century France to refer first to the space in front of the stage where musicians sat, and later to the musicians themselves.
The string section is commonly divided into two groups of violins (first and second), violas, cellos, and double basses.
The woodwind section became standardized by the end of the 18th century, when it consisted of two each of flutes, oboes, clarinets, and bassoons, to which were later added piccolo, English horn, bass clarinet, and double bassoon. At that time, two timpani and two horns were also standard, and two trumpets were occasionally added. During the 19th century, the brass section was gradually expanded to include four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, and tuba. To the percussion section a third timpano was added, and from Turkey came the bass drum, side drum, cymbals, and triangle. One or more harps became common and, to maintain balance, the number of string instruments to a part also increased. Other instruments used in the orchestra include xylophone, celesta, glockenspiel, piano (which superseded the harpischord in the late 18th century), and organ. The orchestra used to be conducted by means of a violin bow, but by Felix Mendelssohn's time the baton was implemented.
The term may also be applied to non-Western ensembles such as the Indonesian gamelan orchestra, consisting solely of percussion instruments, mainly tuned gongs and bells. + prikaži više