spinet
[ spin-it ]
/ ˈspɪn ɪt /
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noun
a small upright piano.
a small, square piano.
any of various small harpsichords.
Also called spinet organ. a small electric organ.
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Origin of spinet
1655–65; aphetic variant of obsolete espinette<French <Italian spinetta, probably equivalent to spin(a) thorn (see spine) + -etta diminutive suffix; the existence of an instrument-maker named Spinetti is unverified
Words nearby spinet
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
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British Dictionary definitions for spinet
spinet
/ (spɪˈnɛt, ˈspɪnɪt) /
noun
a small type of harpsichord having one manual
Word Origin for spinet
C17: from Italian spinetta, perhaps from Giovanni Spinetti, 16th-century Italian maker of musical instruments and its supposed inventor
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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