maraca

Everyday

A musical instrument made of a hollow ball or gourd filled with seeds, beads or small stones, with a handle; you shake it to make a rattling sound. Usually played in pairs. tree →

In the lessons

In music lessons, maracas are percussion instruments used to keep the beat, especially in Latin American music (from places like Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Venezuela). You can make your own maracas in class from plastic bottles or eggs filled with rice. Phrases: «shake the maracas», «a pair of maracas».

Examples

• I shook the maracas in time to the song. tree →
• We made maracas from yogurt pots filled with rice. tree →
• A pair of maracas makes a lovely shaking rhythm. tree →
• Maracas are popular in Latin American music. tree →
• The baby loves the sound of the plastic maraca. tree →
• Shake the maracas softly for the quiet part. tree →
• Old maracas were made from dried gourds with seeds inside. tree →
• In the band, I play the maracas and my friend plays the drum. tree →

Note

Countable: one maraca, two maracas; usually used in the plural because they come in pairs. A loanword from Portuguese/Spanish, probably from a South American language. Not a maths word.