Spinet
/ˈspɪnɪt/noun
A small keyboard instrument with strings stretched diagonally across a compact case.
Did you know?Spinet ultimately traces back to Latin spina, meaning both “thorn” and “backbone,” a root that also gave English words like spine and spinous.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
spina
“thorn; spine; backbone”
Late Latin
Late Latin
spinetta
“a small spiny object or little harpsichord-like instrument”
Old Italian
Italian
spinetta
“a small keyboard instrument”
17th Century
English
spinet
“a small harpsichord with strings set at an angle”
Modern English
English
spinet
“a small keyboard instrument”