castanets

noun

(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance

Roots

kastaneacastan- · Latin · chestnut

Synonyms for castanets

clappersn maracan bonesn percussionn idiophone percussiveadj marimban cymbalsn metallophone gamelann

Synonyms & related words for castanets

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of castanets — including clappers, maraca, bones, percussion, idiophone, percussive. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to castanets

Explore words related to castanets — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include tambourines, tambourinist, crotalum, timbales, percussional, percussively, xylophones, xylophonist. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for castanets

Common synonyms for castanets include clappers, maraca, bones, percussion, idiophone, percussive, marimba, cymbals — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does castanets come from?

The word castanets breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root castan-, from Latin kastanea (“chestnut”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.