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Word Study
castanets
CIDE DICTIONARY
castanets, n. pl. [F. castagnettes, Sp. castañetas, fr. L. castanea (Sp. castaña) a chestnut. So named from the resemblance to two chestnuts, or because chestnuts were first used for castanets. See Chestnut.].
Two small, concave shells of ivory or hard wood, shaped like spoons, fastened to the thumb, and beaten together with the middle finger; -- used by the Spaniards and Moors as an accompaniment to their dance and guitars. [1913 Webster]
" The singular, castanet, is used of one of the pair, or, sometimes, of the pair forming the instrument." [1913 Webster]
"The dancer, holding a castanet in each hand, rattles them to the motion of his feet." [1913 Webster]
THESAURUS
castanets
battery, bells, bones, celesta, chime, chimes, clappers, crash cymbal, cymbals, finger cymbals, gamelan, glockenspiel, gong, handbells, idiophone, lyra, maraca, marimba, metallophone, orchestral bells, percussion, percussion instrument, percussions, percussive, rattle, rattlebones, sizzler, snappers, tam-tam, tintinnabula, tonitruone, triangle, tubular bells, vibes, vibraphone, xylophoneAlso see definition of "castanets" in Bible Study Dictionaries
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