duo

¹ American  

[doo-oh, dyoo-oh] / ˈdu oʊ, ˈdyu oʊ /

noun

plural

duos

1. Music. duet.

2. two persons commonly associated with each other; couple.

3. two animals or objects of the same sort; two things ordinarily placed or found together; a pair.

   a duo of lovebirds.

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duo- ² American  

1. a combining form meaning “two,” used in the formation of compound words.

   duologue.

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duo ¹ British  

/ ˈdjuːəʊ /

noun

1. music

   1. a pair of performers

   2. another word for duet

2. a pair of actors, entertainers, etc

3. informal a pair of closely connected individuals

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duo- ² British  

combining form

1. indicating two

   duotone

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Usage

What does duo- mean? Duo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “two.” It is occasionally used in technical terms.Duo- comes from Greek dýo and Latin duo, both meaning “two.” In fact, English’s own word two is related to these roots! Learn more at our entry at two.

Etymology

Origin of duo¹

1580–90; < Italian < Latin: two

Origin of duo-²

Combining form of Greek dýo, Latin duo two

Compare meaning

How does duo compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• duo vs. duet

Example Sentences

According to legend, the duo lived on bread and water in that period, hoping to save enough money to start their own production company.

From BBC

The classic suit-and-tie duo stood out as one of the strongest markers on the runways.

From Barron's

But, for the first time at a Grand Slam since Sinner and Alcaraz became the sport's dominant duo, there felt little jeopardy in their matches before the final in New York.

From BBC

This week, the U.K. navy closely followed a Russian naval corvette and an oil tanker as the duo sailed through British waters toward the North Sea, according to the U.K.

From The Wall Street Journal

The duo cut their teeth while still at school, which provided eye-opening experiences for the pair.

From BBC

Related Words

• pair