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Glite Dictionary
Pied Piper of Hamelin

Pied Piper of Hamelin

8.3
A character in a story who leads children away by playing a pipe
  • proper noun
  • /paɪd ˈpaɪpər əv ˈhæməlɪn/
  • Literature
translation icon : Flautista de Hamelín
  • In the tale, the Pied Piper of Hamelin played his pipe to lead the children away from the town.

Examples

  • The legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin serves as a warning against broken promises.

  • The story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin has been retold in countless books and films.

  • Many view him as a modern Pied Piper of Hamelin, leading people with charismatic promises.

  • The Pied Piper of Hamelin is a famous character in folklore.

  • Have you heard the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin?

  • The story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin teaches us about the consequences of deception.

  • Children would gather to listen to the enchanting music of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Synonyms

Pied Piper
vsPied Piper of Hamelin
  • Literature
8.7

A person who uses music to lead rats and later children away from a town

focuses on leading away children rather than animals

Surface Forms

Pied Piper of Hamelin main

Morphology

pied + piper + of + Hamelin

A learner who knows 'pied' (multicoloured), 'piper' (a pipe player) and 'Hamelin' (a town) can transparently infer this refers to a (possibly multicoloured) musician from Hamelin. However, the crucial folkloric sense — the character who lures/led away the children — is a cultural/idiomatic reference that cannot be derived from the constituents alone, so the expression is only partially predictable to learners.

Etymology

Pied Piper of Hamelin comes from an old story about a piper, a man who plays a pipe, wearing pied clothes, meaning many-coloured, who played music to 'lead away' rats and then the town's children after they would not pay him. So today calling someone a Pied Piper means they charm people and 'lead' them easily, often into trouble.