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

The quintet will be joined by the Belgium Grand Prix, which will host its first sprint race since 2023. —Dan Cancian, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024

In fact, finale week which kicked off December 16 has been all about paying tribute to the quintet. —Lynette Rice, Deadline, 19 Dec. 2024

Since breaking onto the scene back in 2014, the quintet has become not only one of the biggest names in pop-punk throughout the UK but also one of the most unique and identifiable bands in the entire genre. —Spin Contributor, SPIN, 22 Oct. 2024

From the second Payne joined Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik to form One Direction, the quintet was documented. —Lucy Ford, TIME, 21 Oct. 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