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

There, the duo shared time in the backcourt for an up-and-coming Cougars squad.

From Los Angeles Times

The duo are combining this with new tax exemptions for lower-wage workers plus increased refundable tax credits to redistribute more income.

From The Wall Street Journal

The Hollywood power duo appear to have snagged quite the deal on the lavish dwelling, which was initially listed for $12.75 million in January, more than $2 million more than the final sale price.

From MarketWatch

Production companies, Rambert and Factory International, have revealed the TV producer will be teaming up with the pop duo to reimagine It's A Sin as an immersive, theatrical performance.

From BBC

He also landed directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who are the duo behind big commercial hits such as Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, The Lego Movie and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

From BBC

Related Words

• pair