1
: a musical composition for eight instruments or voices
2
Examples of octet in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
An octet consisting of the British marque’s entire 2010 model line finished in a one-off orange will be auctioned off by Bonhams next month as part of the Zoute Sale.
—
Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2023
Following the news that the octet had edged out SB19 in the final round of the competition, STAY flocked to social media to celebrate the win.
—Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 19 July 2022
This year’s Omaha octet features five of the teams with top-eight national seeds entering the NCAA tournament, including the top two.
—USA TODAY, 17 June 2023
Its fall edition will feature concerts — all in October — by saxophonist Mark Turner and his quartet, flutist Jamie Baum and her octet, and an all-star quintet that includes trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, pianist Gerald Clayton and guitarist Anthony Wilson.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2021
According to Australian Geographic, the fishy octet had assembled to vie for the attention of a nearby female—an elaborate courtship ritual that typically involves a lady ray releasing pheromones into the water before zooming away, triggering a train of males into giving chase.
—Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2020
Left-hander and offseason addition Matt Gage was optioned to Triple-A over the weekend, leaving the Astros with a pretty clear octet of righty relievers to start the 2023 season.
—Michael Shapiro, Chron, 27 Mar. 2023
Composed when Mendelssohn was only 16, the octet brims with youthful energy, but also contains great depths.
—Dallas News, 4 June 2022
But it’s also got sitars, tape loops, a string octet, jazzy horns, and psychedelic funk drones.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2022
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Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2023
Following the news that the octet had edged out SB19 in the final round of the competition, STAY flocked to social media to celebrate the win.
—Glenn Rowley, Billboard, 19 July 2022
This year’s Omaha octet features five of the teams with top-eight national seeds entering the NCAA tournament, including the top two.
—USA TODAY, 17 June 2023
Its fall edition will feature concerts — all in October — by saxophonist Mark Turner and his quartet, flutist Jamie Baum and her octet, and an all-star quintet that includes trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos, pianist Gerald Clayton and guitarist Anthony Wilson.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Sep. 2021
According to Australian Geographic, the fishy octet had assembled to vie for the attention of a nearby female—an elaborate courtship ritual that typically involves a lady ray releasing pheromones into the water before zooming away, triggering a train of males into giving chase.
—Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Feb. 2020
Left-hander and offseason addition Matt Gage was optioned to Triple-A over the weekend, leaving the Astros with a pretty clear octet of righty relievers to start the 2023 season.
—Michael Shapiro, Chron, 27 Mar. 2023
Composed when Mendelssohn was only 16, the octet brims with youthful energy, but also contains great depths.
—Dallas News, 4 June 2022
But it’s also got sitars, tape loops, a string octet, jazzy horns, and psychedelic funk drones.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'octet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1800, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Dictionary Entries Near octet
Cite this Entry
“Octet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/octet. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
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Kids Definition
octet
noun
oc·tet
äk-ˈtet 
1
a
: a piece of music written for eight voices or eight instruments
b
: the performers of an octet
2
: a group or set of eight
More from Merriam-Webster on octet
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for octet
Nglish: Translation of octet for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about octet
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