Word of the Day

: July 16, 2012

skirl

verb SKERL

What It Means

: to emit the high shrill tone of the chanter; also : to give forth music 2: to play (music) on the bagpipe

skirl in Context

Wearing traditional tartans, the band paraded down the street and skirled.

"As bagpipers skirled 'Maury's Wedding,' Mr. Biden began his high energy tour of the Golden Triangle outside the U.S. Courthouse." - From an article by James O'Toole in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 18, 2012

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.