quintet

noun

quin·​tet kwin-ˈtet 

1

: a musical composition or movement for five instruments or voices

2

: a group or set of five: such as

a

: the performers of a quintet

b

: a basketball team

Did you know?

A classical quintet is usually written for strings (usually two violins, two violas, and a cello) or woodwinds (flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn), but brass quintets (two trumpets, horn, trombone, and tuba) have also become popular in North America recently. In jazz, Miles Davis led two famous quintets. In pop music, the Miracles, the Temptations, and the Jackson 5 were immensely popular vocal quintets. In rock, one of the most common instrumental lineups has been a quintet consisting of two guitars, a bass, a keyboard, and drums; famous rock quintets have included the Grateful Dead and the Beach Boys.

Examples of quintet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some plot events are rushed, as when our dysfunctional quintet leaves Gatsby’s party and heads directly to the Plaza. —Christian Lewis, Variety, 26 Apr. 2024

On Instagram, her former bandmates paid homage to Posh, aka the quintet’s fashionable one, with a video montage of her in her pop-star era. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

quintet from Italian quintetto, from quinto fifth, from Latin quintus; quintette from French, from Italian quintetto

First Known Use

1764, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

quintet

noun

quin·​tet kwin-ˈtet 

1

a

: a musical composition for five instruments or voices

b

: the performers of a quintet

2

: a group or set of five