spin·et (sp n t)n. 1. a. A small, compact upright piano. b. A small, compact upright electronic organ. 2. A small harpsichord with a single keyboard. [Obsolete French espinette, from Italian spinetta, perhaps diminutive of sp  na, thorn (presumably so called because the strings of the original instrument were plucked with quills); see spinel.] |
spinet [spɪˈnɛt ˈspɪnɪt]
n
(Music / Instruments) a small type of harpsichord having one manual
[from Italian spinetta, perhaps from Giovanni Spinetti, 16th-century Italian maker of musical instruments and its supposed inventor]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  spinet - a small and compactly built upright pianoupright piano, upright - a piano with a vertical sounding board |
| 2. | spinet - early model harpsichord with only one string per note cembalo, harpsichord - a clavier with strings that are plucked by plectra mounted on pivots |
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