maraca

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

noun

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

maraca

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of maraca¹

1815–25; < Portuguese < Tupi maráka

Word History and Origins

Origin of maraca¹

C20: Brazilian Portuguese, from Tupi

Example Sentences

If approved by the Unicode Consortium, pictograms like a hand fan, a discombobulated face, a pair of maracas, and a knob of ginger will appear on our devices in September 2022, adding to the 3,633 we already have.

From Quartz

Davey was thrashing in the water, his face swollen and bloody, his eyes rattling like dried peas in a maraca.

From Project Gutenberg