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
fif′er 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 ›