quintet

Imagine a jazz band with a piano, bass, drums, saxophone, and trumpet—that's a quintet! The word comes from the Italian quinto, meaning five, so it always refers to a group or collection containing exactly five members or parts. It is most often used in music to describe a piece written for five instruments or voices, but it can also describe any grouping of five things, like "a quintet of charming villages." Think of it as the musical cousin of a duet (two) or a trio (three).

The word "quintet" comes from Italian and means a group of five. You will see it most often in music. A quintet can be a group of five musicians or singers performing together, or it can be a piece of music written for five voices or instruments. A jazz quintet, for example, might include five players on different instruments, while a string quintet is usually a string group with five members.

The word is also used outside music for any set of five things or people seen as one group. You might read about a quintet of villages, a quintet of awards, or a quintet of leaders working together. In these cases, the key idea is always the same: there are exactly five parts in the group.

So when you hear "quintet," think of five connected members forming one whole. In music, it often sounds elegant and formal. In general writing, it is a neat way to describe any group of five.