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

A slower and less sophisticated version of “Blow My Mind” came out in 2002, while “Sucker for Love” was written with Norwegian duo Röyksopp in sessions for their 2014 collaborative EP.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The music came from husband and wife duo, Captain and Tennille.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The duo won Oscars for best picture, director and original screenplay.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The duo also break down a consequential voting rights case in Watson v.

From Slate • Mar. 26, 2026

“You want me to be a rapper while you’re a baller so we could be a dynamic duo stereotype?”

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi

Related Words

• pair