duet

nounverbattested in dialogue

//djuˈɛt//
//duˈɛt//

A musical composition in two parts, each performed by a single voice (singer, instrument or univoce ensemble).

noun

1
A musical composition in two parts, each performed by a single voice (singer, instrument or univoce ensemble).
2
A song composed for and/or performed by a duo.
3
A pair or couple, especially one that is harmonious or elegant.
The fare is Caribbean with an Asian touch — millefeuille of sun-dried tomato, Paris mushrooms and chargrilled local asparagus followed by a duet of chicken and shrimp...

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From Italian duetto (“short musical composition for two voices”), diminutive of due (“two”).

verb

1
To perform a duet.
1822, Lord Byron, Letter to Mr. Moore, Pisa, July 12, 1822, in The Letters of George Gordon Byron, edited by Mathilde Blind, London: Walter Scott, 1887, p. 277, https://books.google.ca/books?id=-DF4Zs_eezUC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false When you can spare time from duetting, coquetting, and claretting with your Hibernians of both sexes, let me have a line from you.
He was about as accordantly coupled with Dr. Middleton in discourse as a drum duetting with a bass-viol […]
‘Ti-yi-yi-yime is on my side, yes it is,’ I used to yodel, duetting with Mick Jagger as I gyrated alone in my student room.
2
To communicate (warnings, mating calls, etc.) through song.
1975, Edward O. Wilson, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis, Belknap Press, p. 223, Duetting species are typically monogamous.
In several dozen species of birds there has been found a phenomenon known as duetting, or antiphonal singing: the first part of a song is executed by one partner of a pair, then the other partner very promptly chimes in to sing the second part.
3
To perform (sing, play, etc.) as a duet.
Peena and Queena are duetting a giggle-for-giggle […]
After the Lord's Prayer the Missionaries duetted a hymn while the children stared at me.
4
(of two people) To say at the same time, to chorus.
“My dear papa!” duetted the girls; but there was something in the husband and father's face, that told the three ladies it would be worse than useless to raise that question at present.
1884, Anonymous, A Speculation, Denver: D. M. Richards, Chapter 12, p. 50, https://books.google.ca/books?id=RsFQAQAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false “A bear!” exclaimed the Major, jumping up and coming forward. “A bear!” dueted the Doctor and Right Rev., pressing hastily to the front.

Forms

plural: duets
past tense: duetted, dueted
past participle: duetted, dueted
present participle: duetting, dueting
third person singular: duets

Due · A surname.duel · Arranged, regular combat between two private persons, often…dues · Membership fees.

duet · A musical composition in two parts, each performed by a single voice (singer, instrument or univoce ensemble).

Duet · A surname.duff · Dough.Duff · A surname.

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.