octet
Americannoun
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a company of eight singers or musicians.
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a musical composition for eight voices or instruments.
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Prosody. octave.
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any group of eight.
noun
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any group of eight, esp eight singers or musicians
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a piece of music composed for such a group
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prosody another word for octave
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chem a group of eight electrons forming a stable shell in an atom
Etymology
Origin of octet
1860–65; oct- + -et, as in duet
Vocabulary lists containing octet
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.
The malignant Nurse conjures up a pack of monkeys, an octet of twirling black dresses, and a silver-painted dancer to seduce the Dyer’s Wife.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
But when you ask them about all that success, the octet are suddenly bashful.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2025
That program began with a small octet by Stravinsky and Bartók’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2025
An octet of guest artists improvises in certain passages embedded within the score but also plays written-out music with the rest of the orchestra.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 21, 2024
Miss Edith Williams, the member of the octet who fainted on the stage, swooned again soon after she took the witness stand.
From Chicago's Awful Theater Horror by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
