skirl

1 of 2

verb

ˈskər(-ə)l 

ˈskir(-ə)l

skirled; skirling; skirls

intransitive verb

of a bagpipe : to emit the high shrill tone of the chanter

also : to give forth music

transitive verb

: to play (music) on the bagpipe

skirl

2 of 2

noun

: a high shrill sound produced by the chanter of a bagpipe

Did you know?

Not every musical instrument is honored with its very own verb. But then, not every musical instrument emits a sound that quite matches that of a bagpipe. Depending on your ear, you might think bagpipes "give forth music," or you might be more apt to say they "shriek." If you are of the latter opinion, your thinking aligns with the earliest sense of skirl—"to shriek." That early sense was used of screeching maids, winds, and the like. Scottish poet Robert Sempill first used it for bagpipes in the mid-1600s. The meaning of skirl has shifted over time, however, and these days you can use the verb without causing offense to bagpipers and bagpipe enthusiasts.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Then came the twirling, colorful, ruffled dresses of dancers from Grupo Folklorico de Bendiciones followed by the precision of the San Antonio Pipes & Drums, complete with the skirl of bagpipes and booming of drums. —Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, 1 Feb. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English (Scots) skrillen, skirlen to scream, shriek, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect skræla to cry aloud; akin to Old English scrallettan to resound loudly

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1665, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined above

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!