CASTANET (Spanish castaneta, or rather castañuela, probably from castaña, a chestnut), an instrument much used by the Spaniards and Moors as an accompaniment to their dances and guitars. It is composed of two small pieces of ebony, or other well-dried hardwood, shaped like spoons, which are placed together with the concavities inwards, fastened by a string to the thumb, and beat with the middle finger, so as to produce a rattling sound. This instrument is very similar to the ancient crotalum, which appears to have consisted, in its original form, of two pieces of reed, which made a clattering noise when shaken with the hand.