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more about castanets
castanets |
2 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Castanets \Cas"ta*nets\, n. pl [F. castagnettes Sp casta[~n]etas, fr L. castanea (Sp. casta[~n]a) 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. 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). From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: castanets n : a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance [syn: {bones}, {clappers}, {finger cymbals}, {maraca}]
more about castanets
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