Word of the Day

: September 1, 2024

skirl

verb SKERL

What It Means

Skirl means "to play the bagpipes" when the subject of the sentence is a person, as in "the piper skirled." When bagpipes are the subject (as in "the bagpipes skirled"), skirl means "to emit the high shrill tone of the chanter," with chanter referring to the reed pipe on which the bagpipe's melody is played.

// The attention of the parade-goers was fully captured the instant the bagpipers began skirling.

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skirl in Context

"You always hear Ryan Randall before you see him. Known among downtown office workers, tour guides, and street vendors for his marathon bagpipe performances that cut through the city streets and up to office tower boardrooms, Randall has become something of an icon downtown. … That afternoon, Randall skirled for a little more than an hour, blaring a continuous stream of live music and pre-recorded accompaniment from a portable speaker." — Daniel Kool, The Boston Globe, 22 Aug. 2023

Did You Know?

Not many musical instruments are honored with their very own verb. But then, not many musical instruments emit a sound quite like 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" —used of screeching winds, wee bairns, 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 or bagpipe enthusiasts.