Octet
/ɒkˈtɛt/noun
A group or set of eight, especially in music or chemistry.
Did you know?The word was coined in the 19th century from Latin octo (“eight”) with the French-style ending -et, making it a neat little linguistic spell for anything arranged in eights.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃oktṓw
“eight”
Latin
Latin
octo
“eight”
Old French
Old French
-et
“a diminutive suffix meaning “little””
19th Century
English
octet
“a set or group of eight; especially an eight-part musical composition or ensemble”
Modern English
English
octet
“a group of eight, especially in music, chemistry, or computing”