crotales

plural noun

cro·​tales

ˈkrōˌtäl,

-ōtᵊ

1

: a percussion instrument consisting of a set of twelve very small, thick cymbals tuned to the chromatic scale

2

: antique cymbals

Word History

Etymology

French, from Latin crotalum

First Known Use

circa 1903, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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