combo

combo — noun

1. a few musicians playing together as a small group, often found at smaller venues

1.nounB1
Definition

a few musicians playing together as a small group, often found at smaller venues playing dance tunes or jazz pieces

Example

The jazz combo played three sets at the club on Friday night.

collocation: jazz combo / play sets

A small combo from New Orleans performed at the street festival.

Common collocations
  • jazz combo
  • small combo
  • local combo
  • play in a combo
  • hire a combo
  • join a combo
  • combo plays
Synonyms
  • band

    broader term for any group of musicians, not limited to small jazz groups

  • ensemble

    more formal or classical, can refer to any size group

  • group

    generic term, does not specify genre or size

Grammar Patterns

combo + singular/plural verb

Usage Note

Often contrasted with 'big band' or 'orchestra' to emphasise the small size. Frequently takes a plural verb in British English (the combo are playing).

Common Mistakes

The rock combo had fifty members.
The rock band had fifty members.
Combo normally means a small group, not a large one.

2. two or more things that are put together or offered as a single unit, such as a

2.nounB1
Definition

two or more things that are put together or offered as a single unit, such as a meal with several items or a ticket with multiple activities

Example

The cafe serves a combo of coffee, juice, and a muffin.

combo of + plural nouns

For lunch, Diego ordered the pasta-and-salad combo from the menu.

Common collocations
  • combo meal
  • combo deal
  • combo offer
  • combo ticket
  • combo pack
  • combo of things
  • pasta-and-salad combo
Synonyms
  • combination

    the standard full form; combo is its informal short version

  • set

    focuses on items grouped together, often pre-packaged

  • bundle

    emphasises a good deal or discount on the grouped items

  • blend

    suggests things that are mixed together more seamlessly

Grammar Patterns

a combo of + plural noun

Usage Note

Common in advertising and menus (combo meal, combo deal). Often used as a modifier before a noun (combo ticket, combo offer).

Common Mistakes

I ordered a combo of rice for dinner.
I ordered a bowl of rice for dinner.
Combo implies at least two different items combined, not a single item.
She bought a combo of milk.
She bought a carton of milk.
Use combo only when multiple things are grouped together.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Combo is the informal short form of combination, most common in advertising and everyday speech for meals, tickets, or products sold together. Combination is the neutral, full-length term used in any register (a combination of factors, a combination lock). Set suggests items that naturally belong together, often pre-packaged (a chess set, a tea set). Bundle emphasises a good deal — multiple items sold as one package at a lower price (bundle of software, TV-and-Internet bundle). Blend implies a more thorough mixing where individual parts are less distinct (a blend of spices, a coffee blend). For everyday grouped items, use combo or set; for discounts, use bundle; for mixed contents, use blend.

combination ↗set ↗bundle ↗blend ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • combo meal
  • combo deal
  • combo ticket
  • jazz combo
  • combo pack

Prepositions

  • combo of

Etymology

English

Combo is a shortened form of combination, first recorded in the 1920s in American English to describe small jazz bands. The broader use for 'any mixture or set of items' spread by the mid-1900s, especially in advertising and restaurant menus.