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pipe definition

pipe (pīp)

noun

  1. a hollow cylinder or cone, as of reed, straw, wood, or metal, in which air vibrates to produce a musical sound, as in an organ or wind instrument
  2. any wind instrument; specif.,
    1. bagpipe
    2. a small medieval fipple flute played with the left hand while the right hand beats a tabor
  3. a small, shrill whistle, used by a boatswain as in conveying orders to a ship's crew
  4. a high, shrill sound, as of a voice, birdcall, etc.
  5. the vocal organs, esp. as used in singing
  6. a long tube of clay, concrete, metal, plastic, etc., for conveying water, gas, oil, etc. or for use in construction
    1. a tubular organ or canal of the body
    2. the respiratory organs
    1. a somewhat cylindrical deposit of ore
    2. an opening into a volcano's crater
  7. anything tubular in form
    1. a tube with a small bowl at one end, in which tobacco, etc. is smoked
    2. enough tobacco, etc. to fill such a bowl
    1. a large cask for wine, oil, etc., having a capacity of about two hogsheads, or 126 gallons
    2. this volume as a unit of measure
  8. Slang something regarded as easy to accomplish

Etymology: ME < OE < WGmc *pipa < VL *pipa < L pipare, to cheep, chirp, peep, of echoic orig.

intransitive verb piped, piping pip′·ing

  1. to play on a pipe
  2. to utter shrill, reedy sounds or tones
  3. Metallurgy to develop longitudinal cavities, as steel sometimes does in ingots and castings during solidification
  4. Naut. to signal a ship's crew by sounding a boatswain's pipe

transitive verb

  1. to play (a tune, etc.) on a pipe
  2. to utter in a shrill, reedy voice or tone
  3. to affect or bring to some condition or place by or as by playing pipes to pipe the clan to battle
  4. ☆ to convey (water, gas, oil, etc.) by means of pipes
  5. ☆ to provide with pipes
  6. to trim (a dress, etc.) with piping
  7. to squeeze (icing, dough, or other soft or puréed food) from a pastry bag
  8. Slang to look at or notice
  9. Naut. to call together or alert (the crew), make (a specified call), or signal the arrival aboard or the departure of (someone) by sounding a boatswain's pipe
pipe Idioms

pipe down

Slang to become quiet or quieter; stop shouting, talking, etc.

pipe in

to convey (esp. transcribed or remote music or speech) by an electric or electronic system

pipe up

  1. to begin to play or sing (music)
  2. to speak up or say, esp. in a piping voice

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
pipe Synonyms

pipe

n.

  1. A tube

    pipeline, drain pipe, sewer, waterpipe, aqueduct, trough, passage, duct, cloaca, tubular runway, canal, vessel; see also channel 1, conduit, tube 1.

  2. A device for smoking

    nosewarmer*, hayburner*, hod*, boiler*, smokestack*. *

    Varieties of smoking pipes include: meerschaum, corncob (also: Missouri meerschaum*); bulldog, brier, clay, churchwarden, narghile, hookah, Turkish, hubble-bubble, opium, calabash, calumet, peace pipe, water pipe, hashish pipe, hash pipe*.

  3. A musical instrument

    wind instrument, flageolet, piccolo; see flute, musical instrument.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

pipe Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • leak: The floor was covered in about an inch of water but there was no sign of leaking pipes.

Adjective modifier

  • perforated: Concealed perforated pipes hidden below the water line would have spewed gasoline and then the floating fuel would have been ignited.

Modifies a noun

  • organ: Billy couldn't take a pipe organ with him, in fact he didn't own one.

Noun used with modifier

  • exhaust: These chrome trims are either straight, to lengthen the exhaust pipe, or a shrouded fan shape to deflect the gases downwards.
pipe usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

pipe quotes

O the broom, the bonnie, bonnie broom, The broom of Cowdenknowes; I wish I were with my dear swain, With his pipe and my yowes.

-Ballads

OAutumn, laden with fruit, and stained With the blood of grape, pass not, but sit Beneath my shady roof; there thou may'st rest, And tune thy jolly voice to my fresh pipe, And all the daughters of the year shall dance! Sing now the lusty song of fruits and flowers.

-Blake,William

Piping down the valleys wild, Piping songs of pleasant glee, On a cloud I saw a child, And he laughing said to me, 'Pipe a song about a lamb!' So I piped with merry cheer. 'Piper, pipe that song again!' So I piped. He wept to hear.

-Blake,William

pipe quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"pipe." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/pipe>

APA Style

pipe. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/pipe

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