paɪp n. & v. --n. 1 a
tube of
metal,
plastic,
wood, etc. used to
convey water,
gas, etc. 2 (also tobacco-pipe) a a
narrow wooden or
clay etc. tube
with a bowl at
one end containing
burning tobacco,
the smoke from which is
drawn into the
mouth. b the
quantity of tobacco
held by
this (smoked a pipe). 3 Mus. a a wind
instrument consisting of a
single tube. b
any of the tubes by which
sound is produced in an
organ. c (in pl.) = BAGPIPES. d (in pl.) a set of pipes joined
together, e.g.
pan-pipes. 4 a
tubal organ,
vessel, etc. in an animal's
body. 5 a
high note or
song,
esp. of a
bird. 6 a cylindrical
vein of
ore. 7 a
cavity in
cast metal. 8 a a boatswain's
whistle. b the
sounding of this. 9 a
cask for wine, esp. as a
measure of
two hogsheads, usu.
equivalent to 105 gallons (about 477 litres). 10
archaic the
voice, esp. in singing. --v.tr. 1 (also absol.)
play (a
tune etc.) on a pipe or pipes. 2 a convey (oil, water, gas, etc.) by pipes. b
provide with pipes. 3
transmit (music, a
radio programme, etc.) by
wire or
cable. 4 (usu. foll. by
up,
on,
to, etc.) Naut. a
summon (a crew) to a meal,
work, etc. b signal the
arrival of (an
officer etc.) on
board. 5 utter in a
shrill voice; whistle. 6 a
arrange (icing,
cream, etc.) in
decorative lines or twists on a
cake etc. b
ornament (a cake etc.) with
piping. 7
trim (a
dress etc.) with piping. 8 lead or
bring (a
person etc.) by the sound of a pipe. 9
propagate (pinks etc.) by
taking cuttings at the
joint of a stem. øpipe
away give a signal for (a boat) to
start. pipe-cleaner a
piece of
flexible covered wire for cleaning a tobacco-pipe. pipe down 1 colloq. be
quiet or
less insistent. 2 Naut.
dismiss from
duty. pipe-fish any of
various long
slender fish of the
family Syngnathidae, with an elongated
snout. pipe-light a spill for
lighting a pipe. pipe
major an
NCO commanding regimental pipers. pipe-organ Mus. an organ using pipes
instead of or as well as reeds. pipe-rack a rack for
holding tobacco-pipes. pipe-rolls
hist. the
annual records of the
British Exchequer from the 12th-19th c. prob.
because subsidiary documents
were rolled in pipe
form. pipe-stem the
shaft of a tobacco-pipe. pipe-stone a
hard red clay used by US Indians for tobacco-pipes. pipe up
begin to play,
sing,
speak, etc. put
that in
your pipe
and smoke it colloq. a
challenge to
another to
accept something frank or
unwelcome. øøpipeful n. (pl. -fuls). pipeless adj. pipy adj. [OE pipe, pipian & OF
piper f. Gmc ult. f. L pipare peep, chirp]