octet

American  

[ok-tet] / ɒkˈtɛt /

Or octette

noun

1. a company of eight singers or musicians.

2. a musical composition for eight voices or instruments.

3. Prosody. octave.

4. any group of eight.

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octet British  

/ ɒkˈtɛt /

noun

1. any group of eight, esp eight singers or musicians

2. a piece of music composed for such a group

3. prosody another word for octave

4. chem a group of eight electrons forming a stable shell in an atom

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Etymology

Origin of octet

1860–65; oct- + -et, as in duet

Example Sentences

But when you ask them about all that success, the octet are suddenly bashful.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

That program began with a small octet by Stravinsky and Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025

An octet of guest artists improvises in certain passages embedded within the score but also plays written-out music with the rest of the orchestra.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024

For “Eleanor Rigby,” the Beatles recorded versions of Martin’s backup arrangement with a string octet using lush classical vibrato and legato phrasing, but they wisely chose a brusque, woody attack instead.

From New York Times • Oct. 31, 2022

Then she gave it up for a spell and it wa'n't until she was sixty-five that she begins to wear rainbow clothes again, and caper around like one of the squab octet.

From Shorty McCabe by Wilson, F. Vaux (Francis Vaux)

Related Words

• assemblage
• band
• cast
• choir
• chorus
• orchestra
• quartet
• quintet
• sextet
• trio
• troupe