octet
octet — noun
- octetsingular
- octetsplural
1. a piece of music that has been created so that eight instruments or voices can p
a piece of music that has been created so that eight instruments or voices can play it together.
Mendelssohn wrote his famous octet when he was only sixteen years old.
common collocation: write/compose an octet
The string quartet teamed up with four more players to perform a Schubert octet.
collocation: perform an octet
Dahlia practiced her clarinet part in the wind octet every evening before the concert.
The composer arranged the symphony as an octet so smaller venues could stage it.
用法筆記
Subject is usually the composer, the work, or a music group. Often paired with 'string', 'wind', or 'brass' to specify the instruments.
常見錯誤
2. a group of eight musicians or singers who play or sing as one ensemble.
a group of eight musicians or singers who play or sing as one ensemble.
The jazz octet took the stage at the festival and opened with a slow blues number.
subject: a music ensemble
Tomás joined a vocal octet at his university and now sings every Sunday at the chapel.
collocation: join an octet
The conductor introduced each member of the brass octet before the first piece began.
Élise and seven other graduates formed an octet to perform at weddings and small parties.
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense refers to the eight people performing, while sense 1 refers to the musical work itself. The same word is used for both, so context decides.
3. a set or collection of eight people or things that are counted or treated as one
a set or collection of eight people or things that are counted or treated as one unit.
An octet of climbers reached the summit just before sunrise on the second day.
pattern: an octet of [plural noun]
Aylin packed an octet of fragile glass jars carefully into the wooden shipping crate.
pattern: an octet of [things]
The gallery displayed an octet of small paintings along one wall of the main hall.
Christopher invited an octet of close friends over to celebrate his promotion at work.
- eight
eight is the everyday cardinal number; octet is the formal noun for a set of eight
用法筆記
Used in formal or literary writing to count groups of eight. In everyday speech, native speakers say 'a group of eight' or 'eight of them' instead.