n.
Pronunciation: ' spi-n ə t also spi- ' net
Function: noun
Etymology: Italian spinetta, perhaps from diminutive of spina thorn, from Latin; from the manner of plucking its strings
Date: 1664
1 : an early harpsichord having a single keyboard and only one string for each note
2 a : a compactly built small upright piano b : a small electronic organ