ETYM Italian.
1. A lively whirling Italian dance for two persons; SYN. tarantelle.
2. Music composed in six-eight time for dancing the tarantella.
Fast violent S Italian dance. S Italian dance in very fast compound time (6/8); also a piece of music composed for, or in the rhythm of, this dance. Although commonly believed to be named for the tarantula spider, it is more likely named for the S Italian town of Taranto. It became popular during the 19th century, several composers writing tarantellas employing a perpetuum mobile in order to generate intense energy. Examples include those by Chopin, Liszt, and Weber.