maraca

American  

[muh-rah-kuh, -rak-uh] / məˈrɑ kə, -ˈræk ə /

noun

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

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maraca British  

/ məˈrækə /

noun

1. 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

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Etymology

Origin of maraca

1815–25; < Portuguese < Tupi maráka

Explanation

A maraca is a musical instrument that you shake — the stones or beans rattle against the hollow case in time to the beat of the music. If the violin seems a bit too complicated to learn, try out some maracas! Maracas are percussion instruments commonly used in Latin and Caribbean music. They mark the beat like drums do, and they are fairly simple to play. Most traditional maracas are made out of dried, hollow gourds or coconut shells, and they're filled with dry beans or pebbles. The word maraca comes from the Portuguese, via a Brazilian language called Tupi. In some French-speaking parts of the world, maracas are called "shac-shacs."

Example Sentences

That’s where he got his maraca work from.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 24, 2025

Another attendee was Naldinho Kumaruara, 29, a spiritual leader wearing a crown of blue macaw feathers and a necklace made of snake bones, and who held a giant maraca in his hand.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 7, 2023

He wore a long headdress of blue macaw feathers and held a maraca.

From Reuters • Aug. 25, 2021

That’s Sierra, now 2, playing a maraca for her father’s band.

From New York Times • May 19, 2020

The herbs shift rhythmically in my sack like the seeds of a maraca.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García