duo

¹

[ doo-oh, dyoo-oh ]

noun

, plural du·os.

1. Music. duet.
2. two persons commonly associated with each other; couple.
3. two animals or objects of the same sort; two things ordinarily placed or found together; a pair:

   a duo of lovebirds.

duo-

²

1. a combining form meaning “two,” used in the formation of compound words:

   duologue.

duo-

¹

combining_form

1. indicating two

   duotone

duo

²

/ ˈdjuːəʊ /

noun

1. music
   1. a pair of performers
   2. another word for duet
2. a pair of actors, entertainers, etc
3. informal.
   a pair of closely connected individuals

Word History and Origins

Origin of duo¹

1580–90; < Italian < Latin: two

Origin of duo²

Combining form of Greek dýo, Latin duo two

Word History and Origins

Origin of duo¹

from Latin

Origin of duo²

C16: via Italian from Latin: two

Example Sentences

South Africa's second-row duo of Eben Etzebeth and Franco Mostert have 207 caps, two more than Wales' starting side.

From BBC

But Rooney's club career stands him out from the other deadly duo, winning five Premier League titles, three League Cups and a Champions League, FA Cup, Europa League and Fifa Club World Cup.

From BBC

In the dark comedy, created by showrunner duo Brian Donovan and Ed Herro, Martindale plays a foulmouthed, no-nonsense maple farmer who becomes the felonious trio’s leader.

From Los Angeles Times

I am going to play it safe and go for a draw, mainly because I think Brentford duo Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo are really talented players who always look like scoring, and the Bees always concede a few too.

From BBC

With 19 total CMA Awards, Stapleton tied with the duo Brooks & Dunn to become the most-winning CMA acts of all time.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• pair

Words That Use Duo-

What does duo- mean?

Duo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “two.” It is occasionally used in technical terms.

Duo- comes from Greek dýo and Latin duo, both meaning “two.” In fact, English’s own word two is related to these roots! Learn more at our entry at two.

Examples of duo-

One example of a technical term that features the combining form duo- is duotone, “of two tones or colors.”

The combining form duo- means “two,” while -tone here means “color.” Duotone literally translates to “two colors” or “two-colored.”

What are some words that use the combining form duo-?

• duobinary
• duopoly
• duotype
• duologue
• duopsony

What are some other forms that duo- may be commonly confused with?

• deoxy-
• di-
• dia-

The combining form duodeno- does not use duo- to mean “two.” Learn why duodeno- represents a part of the small intestine at our entry.

Break it down!

A monologue is the part of a drama in which a single speaker talks at length. With this in mind, what is a duologue, also known as a dialogue?