duet
Americannoun
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duets
plural
noun
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Also called (esp for instrumental compositions): duo. a musical composition for two performers or voices
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an action or activity performed by a pair of closely connected individuals
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of duet
1730–40; earlier duett < Italian duetto, equivalent to du ( o ) duet + -etto -et
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Explanation
A duet is two people singing or playing musical instruments together. You and your brother might be a popular sidewalk duet with your fiddle-accordion combo. If you have tickets for a musical duet, you'll be watching and listening to two performers. You can also call the composition that's written for the two of them a duet, since it has parts for two instruments. Two dancers can also perform a duet, a dance especially choreographed for a couple. Duet stems from the Italian duetto, "musical composition for two voices," from duo, or "two."
Vocabulary lists containing duet
Music - Introductory
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Music - Middle School
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It Takes Two: Di
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Brown’s backstory of writing, and then recording, what would become his 2025 duet with Parton came off as sweet and genuine.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
His chart run continued through the end of the decade, and he sang a memorable duet with Irene Cara, “Love Survives,” for the 1989 film “All Dogs Go To Heaven.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
She has recorded her meditative work “The Ballerina” in several duet contexts, but here she and Mr. Hurst trade interlocking figures while Mr. Blake’s shimmering percussion provides a stellar backdrop.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Madonna's performance - her first VMAs show since her infamous onstage kiss with Britney Spears in 2003 - included a duet with Carpenter and an appearance from British Brat star Charli XCX.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
Two young girls, the Farival twins, were playing a duet from “Zampa” upon the piano.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
Kelly Guerra was an affecting, complex Macaria, her luminous mezzo making an eloquent contrast with the high, bright soprano of Maia Aramburú as Pina; their duets were among the score’s best moments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Together, they recorded 13 albums and scored 20 hit duets over the next seven years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
Parton and Rogers' rendition, though, remains one of most popular country-pop duets of all time and a classic of the genre.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
R&B singer Peabo Bryson, well known for his duets from beloved Disney classics ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ suffered a stroke, according to his representatives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
For Wagner, nothing was allowed to distract from the unfolding musical story and he would happily intertwine chorus, solo, duets, instrumental interludes so that you could hardly tell when one ended and another began.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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