zanza

noun

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

Word History

Etymology

Arabic ṣanj castanets, cymbals, from Persian sanj

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Cite this Entry

“Zanza.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zanza. Accessed 6 Dec. 2024.

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