1. a small rectangular keyboard instrument of the 16th and 17th centuries, similar to a harpsichord
Usage: historical; music

Examples

• The museum displayed a beautifully crafted virginals from the Renaissance period.
• She learned to play Bach’s pieces on the virginals.
• The virginals produced a delicate, plucked sound when the keys were pressed.
• Many wealthy households in Elizabethan England owned virginals.
• The instrument maker specialized in restoring antique virginals.
• Students of early music often practice on modern reproductions of virginals.