WordGarden.ioduet
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /djuːˈɛt/
US
- /djuˈɛt/
Meanings
Noun
a musical piece or performance for two singers or players
Verb
to sing or play a duet with another performer
to make a side-by-side social media video with another user's clip
Beyond the definition
A duet is a piece of music for two singers or two players, or a performance by two people together. You can picture two voices blending in one song, or two musicians sharing the same piano and moving in time with each other. The idea is simple: two performers, one shared piece.
The word is most often used in music, especially for singing, but it can also be used in other performing arts when two people perform together. When you hear about a duet, think of a close performance built for two.
A duet is usually a musical work written for two performers, or the performance itself. Most often, that means two singers sharing a song, but it can also mean two instrumentalists playing together. In classical music, opera, pop, and many other styles, a duet gives each performer a part while also joining them in one combined sound. You might hear a singer and another singer in a love song, or watch two pianists perform a duet at the same keyboard.
The word can also be used more broadly for a performance by two people in another art form, but the musical meaning is still the main one. What matters is that there are two performers taking part together, usually in a planned and closely connected way. "They ended the concert with a quiet duet" is a natural example.
So when you see this word, think of two voices or two musicians meeting in the same piece. It suggests partnership, timing, and a shared performance rather than just any two things happening side by side.
Examples
- 1
School concert
Two students performed a duet at the spring concert.
- 2
Music recording
She recorded a duet with a Brazilian singer for her new album.
- 3
Piano practice
We still need one more person to practice the piano duet after class.
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- duetnoun
Forms
- duetspluralnoun