SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus

zanza

noun
Save Word
zan·​za | \ ˈzanzə \
variants: or sansa \ ˈsan(t)sə \ or less commonly zanze \ ˈzanzə \
plural -s

Definition of zanza

: an African musical instrument consisting of graduated sets of tongues of wood or metal inserted into and resonated by a wooden box and sounded by plucking with the fingers or thumbs

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for zanza

Arabic ṣanj castanets, cymbals, from Persian sanj

Learn More About zanza

Dictionary Entries Near zanza

zanyism

zanza

Zanzibar

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for zanza

Cite this Entry

“Zanza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zanza. Accessed 22 May. 2022.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

WORD OF THE DAY

galumph

Listen to the pronunciation of galumph

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Name That Color

  • a light greenish blue color
  • Name that color:
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ
Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games