Meanings
nouncastanet (plural castanets)
plural castanets
- in pluralentertainmentA single handheld percussion instrument consisting of a pair of concave shells or shell-shaped parts joined on one edge by string.
Origin
- Pre-Greek
- Ancient Greekκαστάνεια“chestnut”
- Latincastanea
- Spanishcastañeta
- Englishcastanet
From Spanish castañeta, diminutive form of castaña, from Latin castanea, from Ancient Greek καστάνεια (kastáneia, “chestnut”), possibly of Pre-Greek origin. Related to the chest in chestnut, formerly chesten.
More words from Spanish, Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κρόταλον, κρέμβαλα
- κρόταλον (krótalon)a single handheld percussion instrument
- κρέμβαλα (krémbala)a single handheld percussion instrument
Catalan castanyola, castanyeta
- castanyolaa single handheld percussion instrument
- castanyetaa single handheld percussion instrument
- esclafidora single handheld percussion instrument
Chinese Mandarin 響板 /响板
- 響板 /响板 (xiǎngbǎn)a single handheld percussion instrument
Czech kastaněty
- kastanětya single handheld percussion instrument
Dutch castagnet, castagnetten
- castagneta single handheld percussion instrument
- castagnettena single handheld percussion instrument
Finnish kastanjetti
- kastanjettia single handheld percussion instrument
French castagnette
- castagnettea single handheld percussion instrument
German Kastagnette, Kastagnetten
- Kastagnettea single handheld percussion instrument
- Kastagnettena single handheld percussion instrument
Greek καστανιέτα
- καστανιέτα (kastaniéta)a single handheld percussion instrument
Hungarian kasztanyetta
- kasztanyettaa single handheld percussion instrument
Irish castainéid
- castainéida single handheld percussion instrument
Italian castagnette, nacchere
- castagnettea single handheld percussion instrument
- naccherea single handheld percussion instrument
Japanese カスタネット
- カスタネット (kasutanetto)a single handheld percussion instrument
Latin crotalum
- crotaluma single handheld percussion instrument
Māori tōkere, tokerangi
- tōkerea single handheld percussion instrument
- tokerangia single handheld percussion instrument
- whakapākōkōa single handheld percussion instrument
- māparaa single handheld percussion instrument
Polish kastaniety
- kastanietya single handheld percussion instrument
Portuguese castanhola
- castanholaa single handheld percussion instrument
Romanian castanietă
- castanietăa single handheld percussion instrument
Russian кастанье́та, кастанье́ты
- кастанье́та (kastanʹjéta)a single handheld percussion instrument
- кастанье́ты (kastanʹjéty)a single handheld percussion instrument
Spanish castañuela
- castañuelaa single handheld percussion instrument
Swedish kastanjett
- kastanjetta single handheld percussion instrument
Tagalog talakatak, kastanyetas
- talakataka single handheld percussion instrument
- kastanyetasa single handheld percussion instrument
- pakalkaka single handheld percussion instrument
Turkish kastanyet, çalpara
- kastanyeta single handheld percussion instrument
- çalparaa single handheld percussion instrument
Cite this entry
APA
castanet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/castanet
MLA
“castanet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/castanet. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “castanet,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/castanet.
Source: castanet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.