castanets

/ (ˌkæstəˈnɛts) /

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pl n

curved pieces of hollow wood, usually held between the fingers and thumb and made to click together: used esp by Spanish dancers

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Word Origin for castanets

C17 castanet, from Spanish castañeta, diminutive of castaña chestnut

Words nearby castanets

cast adrift, Castagno, Castalia, Castaneda, castanet, castanets, castaway, cast back, cast doubt on, cast down, caste

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

How to use castanets in a sentence

The young knights to prove their hardihood danced in the armor worn all day,—chain mail jingling in time to the castanets.
God Wills It!|William Stearns Davis
The castanets are made of ebony, and are generally decorated with bunches of smart ribbons, which play a great part in the dance.
Spanish Life in Town and Country|L. Higgin and Eugne E. Street
I expected to hear your teeth chattering together like castanets.
Frank Merriwell's Pursuit|Burt L. Standish
Carmen was squatting down near me, and every now and then she would rattle her castanets and hum a tune.
Carmen|Prosper Merimee

The Wasp laughed a little hard laugh, clear and inhuman as the snap and rattle of Spanish castanets.
Joan of the Sword Hand|S(amuel) R(utherford) Crockett