1. a pair of small, shell-shaped pieces of wood or plastic that are clicked together rhythmically as a percussion instrument, especially in Spanish dancing

Examples

• The flamenco dancer clicked her castanets in perfect rhythm with the guitar.
• He learned to play castanets during his music class.
• The sound of castanets filled the air as the Spanish folk dancers performed.
• She held the castanets in her palms and struck them together with her fingers.
• Traditional Spanish music often features guitars, drums, and castanets.
• The children made simple castanets from bottle caps for their school performance.