quartet

noun

quar·​tet kwȯr-ˈtet 

variants or less commonly quartette

1

: a musical composition for four instruments or voices

2

: a group or set of four

especially : the performers of a quartet

Examples of quartet in a Sentence

He is a member of a jazz quartet.

a string quartet by Beethoven

The author wrote a quartet of novels about the same character.

Recent Examples on the Web

And the recording that exposed their machinations ultimately destroyed the type of ethnic politicking that made the careers of too many self-serving power grabbers, including this quartet. — Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2026

This Best Buy set is great for small homes, with a quartet of entry sensors, a precise motion sensor, and a home hub with a loud 100 dB siren in case of intrusion. — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026

The farewell tour had been designed to honor the classic lineup of L7, the Los Angeles quartet of hard-rocking young women that recorded the band’s three most popular early albums and reunited to make 2019’s Scatter the Rats. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 7 Oct. 2026

There’s no more talented quartet of perimeter players on one team than James/Brown/Maxey/Edgecombe. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 6 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian quartetto, from quarto fourth, from Latin quartus — more at quart

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing quartet

• barbershop quartet
• string quartet

Rhymes for quartet

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• binet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette

Kids Definition

quartet

noun

quar·​tet

variants also quartette

kwȯr-ˈtet 

1

a

: a musical composition for four instruments or voices

b

: the performers of a quartet

2

: a group or set of four