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• duo
  duo

  noun

  duet.
• duo-
  duo-

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

duo

¹ American  

[doo-oh, dyoo-oh] / ˈdu oʊ, ˈdju oʊ /

noun

duos plural

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• duos
  plural

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

Explanation

A duo is a pair of things or people. Batman and Robin are a famous dynamic duo, but a duo is any two people doing something together, not just crime fighting. In fact, a duo usually entertains. You can complain that you can't find a duo of matching socks, but it's more common to use duo for people who perform together. For example, Penn and Teller are a magician duo, and Laurel and Hardy were a comedy duo. If you and your sister play your ukuleles together in the subway for tips, you're also a duo. Originally, a duo was a song written for two voices, from the Latin meaning of duo, "two."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

duo duos

If the “Five-Star” crew were to meet “Ride or Die” duo Debbie and Judith at a pub, they’d have war stories to swap.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

Comedy duo Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol used guerrilla filmmaking and footage they shot in the mid-aughts to create a time-travel caper about their characters’ quest to play the ultimate gig.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

Unlike Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, or Hope and Crosby, who relied on tightly scripted setups, this disparate yet kindred duo captured America’s heart by being viscerally, uproariously and unpredictably wild.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026

Whether leaning into the longstanding chemistry of the duo, who won the FA Youth Cup together at Manchester City in 2020, will bear fruit remains to be seen.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Her diary entry the next day makes her teamwork with Dina—whom Zhenya adored—sound like a kind of dark comedy duo.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

These giant black hole duos are expected to form naturally after galaxies merge.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026

“It could be one of the best duos in a long time,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 8, 2026

Now, 43 years later, Russell and Hawn have become one of Hollywood’s most-loved duos and have turned their focus to real estate.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 26, 2026

Mr. Millepied’s contemporary dance choreography is dominated by animated groups alternating with trios, duos and solos.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 2026

Or like Pa’s old doo-wop records with duos and trios that went high, higher, then low.

From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Related Words

• pair