Racket

Racket [Ger. Rank, a bend] (Fr.: cervelas, cervelat; Ger.: Rockett, Rantett; It.: cortali [pl.]), 1. obs. woodwind of the 16th and 17th c., made of a short cylinder of ivory (later models were of wood), in which a number of parallel cylindrical channels are bored up and down, connected alternately at top and bottom to form one continuous tube. The channel emerged at the top in the center. Rackets were played with a double reed, like that of a bassoon, partly enclosed in a *pirouette inserted in…