WordWeight : Weighing the Words

Pronunciation : Cas"ta*nets
Part of Speech : n.
Etymology : [F. castagnettes, Sp. casta?etas, fr. L. castanea (Sp. casta?a) a chestnut. So named from the resemblance to two chestnuts, or because chestnuts were first used for castanets. See Chestnut.]
Definition : Defn: Two small, concave shells of ivory or hard wood, shaped like spoons, fastened to the thumb, and beaten together with the middle finger; -- used by the Spaniards and Moors as an accompaniment to their dance and guitars.

Note: The singular, castanet, is used of one of the pair, or, sometimes, of the pair forming the instrument. The dancer, holding a castanet in each hand, rattles then to the motion of his feet. Moore (Encyc. of Music).

pl.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913