duo
/ˈdjuːəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈduːəʊ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdü-(ˌ)ō also ˈdyü-/ (ame, mw)
duo — noun
- duosingular
- duosplural
1. a pair of performers — such as musicians, singers, comedians, or dancers — who a
a pair of performers — such as musicians, singers, comedians, or dancers — who appear together regularly as a team.
Esteban and Eri are a popular duo who play guitar and sing at local festivals.
collocation: comedy duo / musical duo
The comedy duo had the audience in tears throughout their hour-long show.
Sahil and Apinya formed a jazz duo after meeting at music college in Bangkok.
A mother-and-son duo won the cooking competition on national television last night.
用法筆記
Commonly describes musical, comedy, or dance partners who perform as a recognised team. Less often used for non-entertainment pairs such as business partners.
常見錯誤
2. a composition created for two musicians or two singers to play or sing together.
a composition created for two musicians or two singers to play or sing together.
The composer wrote a beautiful duo for violin and cello during her time in Vienna.
pattern: duo for [instrument] and [instrument]
Paul and Ingrid practised the piano duo every evening for six weeks before the concert.
This duo for two flutes is one of the hardest pieces on the exam syllabus.
The audience clapped loudly and asked the musicians to play the duo a second time.
- duet
more common term for a piece for two, especially vocal music
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 refers to the PEOPLE who perform together, while this sense refers to the MUSICAL PIECE itself. The word 'duet' is more common than 'duo' for the piece sense in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
3. two items that naturally go together because they match in appearance or belong
two items that naturally go together because they match in appearance or belong as a set.
A duo of tall brass lamps stood on either side of the hotel entrance.
pattern: duo of [plural noun]
The antique shop had a duo of matching wooden chairs from a 1920s dining set.
Rachid planted a duo of cherry trees at the back of the garden last spring.
The gallery is showing a duo of abstract paintings by the same Colombian artist.
- pair
neutral and more common; preferred for functional or everyday items (a pair of shoes, a pair of glasses)
- matching set
more formal; emphasises that items are designed to go together
文法句型
duo of + plural noun
用法筆記
More informal than 'pair'; typically used to emphasise that the two items form a natural set. Often appears in the structure 'a duo of + noun'.
duo — combining form
1. a word element taken from Latin that means 'two' or 'double', used at the start
a word element taken from Latin that means 'two' or 'double', used at the start of many English nouns and adjectives.
A duet is music written for two people to sing or play together.
example compound: duet
A duplex apartment has two separate floors connected by an internal staircase.
example compound: duplex
The librarian asked Tendai to make a duplicate copy of the damaged page.
A duologue is a play scene where only two characters speak to each other.
The camera has a dual function: it takes photos and records video.
用法筆記
Common compounds include 'duet' (a piece for two), 'duplex' (having two parts), 'duplicate' (an exact copy), 'duologue' (a conversation between two people). Not productive in modern English — you cannot freely attach it to nouns the way you can with 'bi-'.