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bagpipe

bagpipe

23 5.2
A wind instrument with a bag and pipes played by blowing and squeezing
  • noun
  • /ˈbæɡˌpaɪp/
translation icon : gaita
  • At the cemetery, conversation quieted as bagpipes played and the horse-drawn caisson drew near.
  • play the bagpipes
  • sound of bagpipes

Now if you play the bagpipes and who amongst us has not dabbled?

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Examples

  • Nobody was going to lug a set of bagpipes along those narrow paths in the dark.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • "We heard somebody playing the bagpipes and went out to investigate."

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Soon I began to enjoy the sound of bagpipes and Scottish folk songs.

    Academic text (1994)
  • In the far corner of the castle, Duncan could hear the bagpipe lessons going on: "The Bells of Perth."

    Fiction book (1999)
  • That's the first time I've enjoyed the sound of a bagpipe.

  • And from all the houses and all the schools there were processions led by bagpipes and bands to the Tercentenary Theatre this morning.

  • There were the typical diversions: he golfed, published bad poetry, and learned to play the bagpipes.

    Academic text (2008)
  • "How long has Robin Armin been playing the bagpipes?" said Janet as they walked up the hill to Dunbar.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Amid the sounds of drumming and bagpipes, a procession holding torches walked across the fields and into the enclosure.

    Academic text (2006)
  • Wander through Polo Field as bagpipe bands play in the background and Scottish dancers perform.

Synonyms

wind
vsbagpipe
10 6.3

A musical instrument played by blowing air, like a flute

relies on a squeezed air reservoir to supply continuous air to pipes
woodwind
vsbagpipe
3 4.2

An instrument that makes sound when you blow into or across it, like a flute

relies on an internal reservoir squeezed to force air through pipes
wind instrument
vsbagpipe
1 3.1

An instrument that makes sound when you blow air through it, like a flute or trumpet

uses an air reservoir squeezed to force steady airflow through separate pipes
1 3.6

A musical instrument that makes sound when you blow air, often using a reed, like a clarinet or oboe

uses a squeezed air reservoir rather than direct breath or bellows for airflow

Surface Forms

bagpipe singular
bagpipes plural

Morphology

bagpipe = bag + pipe (opaque) = bag + pipe

The components 'bag' and 'pipe' are clear, but the specific meaning as a musical instrument is not directly derivable from the components.

Etymology

The word bagpipe is simply the two parts bag and pipe, so it literally means 'bag with pipes'. That's why a bagpipe is an instrument you blow into a bag and squeeze it to push air through pipes to make sound.