VIRGINAL


Meaning of VIRGINAL in English

or virginals

Small rectangular harpsichord with a single set of strings and a single manual.

The derivation of its name is uncertain. The virginal's strings run parallel to the keyboard, which occupies only a portion of the longer side. Combination virginals include a smaller portable virginal that can be placed on top of the larger keyboard to create a two-manual instrument. The virginal was particularly popular in 16th–17th-century England, where much music was written for it by William Byrd , Thomas Morley , Thomas Weelkes , and others.

English virginal (with jack rail removed) made by Robert Hatley, London, 1664; in the ...

From the Benton-Fletcher Collection at the National Trust Property, Fenton House, Hampstead, London

Britannica English dictionary.      Английский словарь Британика.