zan·za \ˈzanzə\noun orsan·sa\ˈsan(t)sə\; alsozan·ze\ˈzanzə\ (-s) Etymology: Arabic ṣanj castanets, cymbals, from Persian sanj : an African musical instrument consisting of graduated sets of tongues of wood or metal inserted into and resonated by a wooden box and sounded by plucking with the fingers or thumbs