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Synonyms

spinet

American  
[spin-it] / ˈspɪn ɪt /

noun

  1. a small upright piano.

  2. a small, square piano.

  3. any of various small harpsichords.

  4. Also called spinet organ.  a small electric organ.

spinet British  
/ ˈspɪnɪt, spɪˈnɛt /

noun

  1. a small type of harpsichord having one manual

"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

Etymology

Origin of spinet

1655–65; aphetic variant of obsolete espinette < French < Italian spinetta, probably equivalent to spin ( a ) thorn ( spine ) + -etta diminutive suffix; the existence of an instrument-maker named Spinetti is unverified

Vocabulary lists containing spinet

Musical Instruments - High School

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

What he did bring with him was a spinet piano that he set up in the living room and an acoustic guitar that usually occupied his bedroom.

From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026

Although the previous owner of the spinet piano in Diamond Park has not come forward, the Bernal Heights incident might tease a possible explanation for the appearance of the mysterious instrument.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 28, 2023

At the championship, they tackled such words as troika, jeremiad, syndrome, vitriol, spinet, bezoar and cynosure.

From Washington Times • Mar. 27, 2019

In the high-ceilinged taproom, which shares floor space with the tanks, a broken spinet piano is incorporated into the bar.

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2018

It was a mahogany spinet, and it was shiny and beautiful.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.