pandean pipe

9.9

A set of pipes of different lengths tied together that you play by blowing across the tops

noun
/ˈpændiən paɪp/

Archaic

: siringa

The shepherd played a soft melody on his pandean pipe as dusk fell over the hills.

Examples

He crafted a pandean pipe from reeds he found by the river.
Ancient artwork often depicts figures holding a pandean pipe beside goats or sheep.
What a lovely tune that pandean pipe plays!
The musician played a beautiful pandean pipe at the festival.
The shepherd played a soft melody on his pandean pipe as dusk fell over the hills.
He crafted a pandean pipe from reeds he found by the river.
Ancient artwork often depicts figures holding a pandean pipe beside goats or sheep.

Synonyms

wind instrument

vspandean pipe

1 3.1

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

is a specific small set of pipes rather than any air driven instrument

panpipe

vspandean pipe

1 7.5

A set of tubes of different lengths that you blow across to make music

is the same idea expressed by an older or technical name

syrinx

vspandean pipe

9.9

A wind instrument made of pipes of different lengths tied together

is the same instrument but named with a different traditional term

Surface Forms

pandean pipe singular

pandean pipes plural

Morphology

pandean + pipe

The word 'pipe' clearly signals a wind instrument, so part of the meaning is transparent, but 'pandean' is rare and etymologically refers to the god Pan (panpipes). A learner who knows the adjective 'pandean' as 'related to Pan' would derive the correct meaning, but without that specialized/cultural knowledge the specific instrument sense is not predictable.

Etymology

The noun pandean pipe comes from stories about the god Pan, a shepherd who played a row of joined pipes made from reeds of different lengths that you blow across to make notes. So the name now means 'a simple wind instrument' made of several pipes tied together.