noun
clapper; noisemaker; bird rattle
General term for a device that makes noise by clapping or rattling, often used to scare birds away from crops.
田んぼに鳴子を設置して鳥を追い払う。
They set up clappers in the rice fields to scare away birds.
noun
naruko; wooden clapper (held in both hands and shaken)
A traditional Japanese percussion instrument used in music and dance, consisting of wooden slats that clap together when shaken.
民謡の演奏で鳴子を打ち鳴らす。
They clap the naruko during the folk song performance.
Compound of 鳴る (naru, 'to sound') + 子 (ko, diminutive suffix). The exact derivation is uncertain, but the word likely originally referred to a small sounding device.