maraca

[ muh-rah-kuh, -rak-uh ]

/ məˈrɑ kə, -ˈræk ə /

noun

a gourd or a gourd-shaped rattle filled with seeds or pebbles and used, often in a pair, as a rhythm instrument.

QUIZZES

THIS WEEK’S WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ IS POSITIVELY FELICIFIC

Do you study our Words of the Day with great assiduity? See how many you remember from March 30 to April 5!

Question 1 of 7

transliterate

to remove or destroy all traces of.

to change (letters, words, etc.), into corresponding characters of another alphabet or language.

to explain in terms that can be more easily understood.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of maraca

1815–25; < Portuguese < Tupi maráka

Words nearby maraca

mara, marabi, marabou, marabout, marabunta, maraca, maracaibo, maracanda, maracay, maradona, marae

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for maraca

Davey was thrashing in the water, his face swollen and bloody, his eyes rattling like dried peas in a maraca.
Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town|Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for maraca

maraca

/ (məˈrækə) /

noun

a percussion instrument, usually one of a pair, consisting of a gourd or plastic shell filled with dried seeds, pebbles, etc. It is used chiefly in Latin American music

Word Origin for maraca

C20: Brazilian Portuguese, from Tupi

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