fife Hear it!

fife Definition

fife (fīf)

noun

a small flute having from six to eight finger holes, and usually no keys, used mainly with drums in playing marches

Etymology: Ger pfeife, a pipe, fife < MHG pfife < OHG pfifa < VL *pipa, pipe

transitive verb, intransitive verb fifed, fif·ing

to play on a fife

fife Related Forms
fifer noun
Fife Definition

Fife (fīf)

administrative unit of E Scotland: formerly a county

fife Usage Examples

Object

  • band: He recruited members of the town's church lads drum and fife band.

Converse of object

  • play: Drums and fifes played at marriage gatherings to announce the occasion to the people of the village.

Noun used with modifier

  • cash-value: Disability cash-value fife to a messy extra cents per page.
  • disability: Disability cash-value fife to a messy extra cents per page.
fife Quotes

He thought he saw an Elephant, That practised on a fife: He looked again, and found it was A letter from his wife. 'At length I realize,' he said 'The bitterness of life!'

—Dodgson

Browse dictionary entries near fife

  1. fiesta
  2. Fiesole
  3. fiery cross
  4. fiery
  5. fiercely
  6. fierce
  7. fiendish
  8. fiend
  9. fieldwork
  10. fieldstrip
  1. fife rail
  2. FIFO
  3. fifteen
  4. fifteenth
  5. fifth
  6. Fifth Amendment
  7. fifth column
  8. fifth columnist
  9. Fifth Republic
  10. fifth wheel