castanets

castanets is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 1 sense. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.

Definitions

  1. 1.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. Note: The singular, castanet, is used of one of the pair, or, sometimes, of the pair forming the instrument. The dancer, holding a castanet in each hand, rattles then to the motion of his feet. Moore (Encyc. of Music).

Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).

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