trio
Americannoun
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a musical composition for three voices or instruments.
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a company of three singers or players.
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any group of three persons or things.
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a subordinate division of a minuet, scherzo, march, etc., usually in a contrasted key and style (perhaps originally written for three instruments or in three parts).
noun
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a group of three people or things
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music
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a group of three singers or instrumentalists or a piece of music composed for such a group
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a subordinate section in a scherzo, minuet, etc, that is contrastive in style and often in a related key
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piquet three cards of the same rank
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of trio
Explanation
Whether it’s birds, opera singers, aces, or golfers, you can use the word trio to refer to anything made up of three. You can probably tell by tri- that trio involves three of something. It’s often used to describe a musical arrangement featuring three vocal parts or three different instruments, or a musical group made up of three players, such as a jazz trio consisting of a piano player, a bass player, and a drummer. For those not musically inclined, the word can be used more broadly to refer to three of anything, such as a trio of friends.
Vocabulary lists containing trio
Music - Introductory
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Music - Middle School
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Music - High School
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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.
Its popularization is credited to Los Panchos, a famed Mexico City trío romántico from the 1940s that’s known for such hits as “Besame Mucho” and “Sabor a Mi,” recorded with American jazz singer Eydie Gorme.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2024
De hecho, el trío aseveró que los científicos no han demostrado que estas redes sean generalizadas ni que desempeñen un papel significativo en los bosques.
From New York Times • Nov. 20, 2022
Tras una de las noches más dramáticas en la historia de la disciplina, el trío de estrellas adolescentes del patinaje ruso — Anna Shcherbakova, Alexandra Trusova y Kamila Valieva, respectivamente — enfrenta un futuro incierto.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 18, 2022
El delirante trío de Pedro, Pablo y Paco regresan con sus ocurrencias y sus bromas pesadas con la ayuda de sus cómplices.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 26, 2019
El viernes, el trío del satélite develó su producto terminado, que ellos creen es el primer satélite jamás construido por completo por estudiantes.
From Washington Times • Nov. 27, 2014
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.
