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

The last time Sterban appeared with the Grammy-winning quartet was in May at the Academy of Country Music Awards in Frisco, Texas. —Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 26 Sep. 2025

Rounding out the mourning quartet is their sister Anne (Emily Fairn), physically sickly, emotionally brittle and unequivocally devout. —Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 25 Sep. 2025

She’s joined by a quartet featuring Brazilian guitar master Romero Lubambo. —Andrew Gilbert, Mercury News, 25 Sep. 2025

For their 25th anniversary season, the Minnesota Wild are throwing it back to the days of Darby Hendrickson, Manny Fernandez and Scott Pellerin for a quartet of games this season. —Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 25 Sep. 2025

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
• brevet
• 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