Main Entry:

ce·les·ta

Pronunciation:

\sə-ˈles-tə, chə-\

Variant(s):

or ce·leste \sə-ˈlest, chə-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

French célesta, alteration of céleste, literally, heavenly, from Latin caelestis

Date:

1899

: a keyboard instrument with hammers that strike steel plates producing a tone similar to that of a glockenspiel