Vibraslap

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A percussive instrument that consists of a wooden block and a vibrating wire that generates sound when struck or shaken
2. A sound-generating tool featuring a combination of wood and metal that creates a distinct rattling noise through vibration
3. A musical device composed of a solid material and a tensioned wire that produces sound by means of shaking or striking it

Etymology: The name is a compound of "vibra-" and "slap," and it describes what the instrument does: a sharp slap sets off a rattling buzz. The "vibra-" element is most likely drawn from "vibrate" or from the older word "vibraphone," though the exact model of influence is uncertain. Its first use in print is a twentieth-century percussion term rather than an older English word, so it has no earlier meaning to trace. Unlike many instrument names that come from Latin or Italian (such as "xylophone," from Greek roots meaning "wood" and "sound"), this one was coined in English from plain words that mimic its effect. Its sound is the point of the name, which is why it reads more like a description than a classical borrowing.