pipe

1 of 2

noun

plural pipes
1
a
: a tubular wind instrument
specifically : a small fipple flute held in and played by the left hand
b
: one of the tubes of a pipe organ:
(1)
(2)
c
: bagpipe
usually used in plural
d(1)
pipes : vocal cords, voice
… the actress famously showed off her pipes with the emotional ballad "There Are Worse Things I Could Do."Sophie Dodd
a singer with a great set of pipes
2
a
: a long tube or hollow body for conducting a liquid, gas, or finely divided solid or for structural purposes
b
: a means of transmission (as of television signals or computer data)
a broadband fiber-optic pipe
3
a
: a tubular or cylindrical object, part, or passage
b
: a roughly cylindrical and vertical geologic formation
c
: the eruptive channel opening into the crater of a volcano
4
a
: a large cask of varying capacity used especially for wine and oil
b
: any of various units of liquid capacity based on the size of a pipe
especially : a unit equal to two hogsheads
5
: a device for smoking usually consisting of a tube having a bowl at one end and a mouthpiece at the other
6
pipeful noun
pipeless adjective
pipelike adjective

pipe

2 of 2

verb

piped; piping

intransitive verb

1
a
: to play on a pipe
b
: to convey orders by signals on a boatswain's pipe
2
a
: to speak in a high or shrill voice
b
: to emit a shrill sound

transitive verb

1
a
: to play (a tune) on a pipe
b
: to utter in the shrill tone of a pipe
2
a
: to lead or cause to go with pipe music
b(1)
: to call or direct by the boatswain's pipe
(2)
: to receive aboard or attend the departure of by sounding a boatswain's pipe
3
: to trim with piping
4
: to place (batter, frosting, etc.) on a surface by pressing or squeezing through a bag or tube fitted with a special nozzle
Pipe frosting over each frozen ice cream mound to cover.Emily Young
also : to create (a decoration or pattern) by this method
Pipe a rosette of whipped cream on top. Elizabeth Craig
5
: to furnish or equip with pipes
6
: to convey by or as if by pipes
especially : to transmit by wire or coaxial cable
7
: notice

Examples of pipe in a Sentence

Noun He has the pipes to sing on Broadway. a singer with a fine set of pipes Verb The pipers piped while the drummers drummed. The musician piped a tune.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Use sealant or expanding foam to fill in gaps where pipes or wires enter the home. Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2024 Jack Eichel pulled one back for the Knights at 7:17, but Logan Thompson, making his Capitals debut having been acquired from the Knights in late June, impressed between the pipes, making 24 saves. Jamie Barton, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024
Verb
Foodie dads who insist on piping hot java will love this Bodum Double Wall Coffee Press. Annie Blackman, Allure, 21 Sep. 2024 Partnering with nonprofits, Dr. Rock has developed many of these springs into reliable sources by capturing water at its source and piping it into holding tanks that residents can fill from. Photographs & Text By Elliot Ross For Time, TIME, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pipe 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pipe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English pīpa (akin to Old High German pfīfa pipe), from Vulgar Latin *pipa pipe, from Latin pipare to peep, of imitative origin

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of pipe was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near pipe

Cite this Entry

“Pipe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pipe. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

pipe

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a musical instrument consisting of a tube of reed, wood, or metal that is played by blowing
b
: one of the tubes of a pipe organ
c
: bagpipe
usually used in plural
d
: the whistle, call, or note especially of a bird or an insect
2
: a long tube or hollow body for carrying a substance (as water, steam, or gas)
3
: a tube with a small bowl at one end used for smoking tobacco
4
: a large barrel used especially to hold oil or wine

pipe

2 of 2 verb
piped; piping
1
a
: to play on a pipe
b
: to receive on board or signal the departure of by the sounding of a boatswain's pipe
2
: to speak, call, or play with a high shrill tone
3
: to furnish or trim with piping
4
: to carry by or as if by pipes
pipe water
piper noun

More from Merriam-Webster on pipe

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