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Glite Dictionary
melody pipe

melody pipe

7.9
A pipe with finger holes that plays the tune in a bagpipe or organ
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : tubo melódico
  • In a bagpipe, the melody pipe is known as the chanter, which the player uses to create tunes.

Examples

  • The organ builder carefully adjusted each melody pipe before the concert.

  • Replacing a cracked melody pipe improved the instrument's overall sound quality.

  • The melody pipe produces a sweet sound.

  • Can you play the melody pipe in the next song?

  • The musician skilled at playing the melody pipe enchanted the audience with beautiful tunes.

  • During the concert, the melody pipe added a rich layer of sound to the organ's music.

  • The child learned to play simple songs on the melody pipe during her music class.

Synonyms

chanter
vsmelody pipe
  • Specialized
9.9

A pipe with a reed and holes that plays the tune on bagpipes

is used mainly in organs rather than bagpipes
reed pipe
vsmelody pipe
  • Specialized
7.9

A pipe in an organ that makes sound when a thin metal strip vibrates, giving a bright tone

is specifically fitted with finger holes to play a melody

Surface Forms

melody pipe singular
melody pipes plural

Morphology

melody + pipe

The compound is directly compositional: a 'melody pipe' is literally a pipe that produces or plays the melody, so a learner who knows 'melody' (tune) and 'pipe' (tube instrument) can infer the meaning. This noun+noun combination follows regular English compounding patterns and is not idiomatic or metaphorical, making it transparent to B1 learners.

Etymology

Melody pipe comes from the simple image of a pipe that plays the melody. In instruments like bagpipes and organs this is the pipe with finger holes that the player uses to make the main 'tune', so the name now means the reed pipe used to play the 'melody'.