Illustration of bagpipe
: a wind instrument consisting of a reed melody pipe and from one to five drones with air supplied continuously either by a bag with valve-stopped mouth tube or by bellows
—often used in plural
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This is a wind instrument that consists of two or more single- or double-reed pipes. The reeds are vibrated by wind caused by arm pressure on a skin or cloth bag. The pipes are held in wooden sockets tied into the bag, which is inflated either by the mouth or by bellows strapped to the body. Melodies are played on the finger holes of the melody pipe, or chanter, while the remaining pipes, or drones, sound single notes. Bagpipes existed by c. 100 ce. The early bag was an animal bladder or a nearly whole sheepskin or goatskin. Bagpipes have always been folk instruments. An important related instrument is the Irish union (or uilleann) pipes.
Examples of bagpipe in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Every year, the town held the Highland Games, with the sound of bagpipes echoing through the streets.
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Shilo Kino
august 4, Literary Hub, 4 Aug. 2025
The mood was somber as the sound of bagpipes and drums broke through a largely silent crowd at CCSU’s Welte Hall auditorium.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Aug. 2025
The Great Highland bagpipe survived a cruel Darwinian narrowing.
—Elena Saavedra Buckley, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2025
The ceremony — during which guests were welcomed into the cathedral to the sound of bagpipes, per Hello! — was followed by a reception at the Shangri-La Hotel inside The Shard.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bagpipe
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Shilo Kino
august 4, Literary Hub, 4 Aug. 2025
The mood was somber as the sound of bagpipes and drums broke through a largely silent crowd at CCSU’s Welte Hall auditorium.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 2 Aug. 2025
The Great Highland bagpipe survived a cruel Darwinian narrowing.
—Elena Saavedra Buckley, New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2025
The ceremony — during which guests were welcomed into the cathedral to the sound of bagpipes, per Hello! — was followed by a reception at the Shangri-La Hotel inside The Shard.
—Erin Clack, People.com, 15 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for bagpipe
Cite this Entry
“Bagpipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bagpipe. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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