bagpipe
bagpipe — noun
1. a wind instrument with a leather bag that the player fills with air, then squeez
a wind instrument with a leather bag that the player fills with air, then squeezes so the air flows out through one or more thin tubes to make a loud, droning sound.
Kofi learned to play the bagpipes from his grandfather in a small village.
play the bagpipes (typical collocation)
The sound of bagpipes drifted across the misty hills at sunrise.
the sound of bagpipes (frequent collocation)
Six musicians in red jackets carried their bagpipes onto the wooden stage.
Uri tucked the bagpipes under her arm and began a slow tune for her grandmother's funeral.
Imani squeezed the bag and the bagpipe filled the square with a loud, droning tune.
- pipes
informal short form, very common in Scottish and Irish contexts
- Highland pipes
specific name for the Scottish version with three drones
- uilleann pipes
Irish bellows-blown variety, softer in tone
文法句型
a/the bagpipes
play the bagpipes
用法筆記
Most often used in the plural form 'bagpipes', even when referring to one instrument. The verb 'play' takes 'the bagpipes' with the definite article, like other instrument names.
常見錯誤
2. the Scottish form of this instrument, having one tube with finger holes for the
the Scottish form of this instrument, having one tube with finger holes for the melody and three longer tubes that hold a single steady note while the player blows air into the bag.
At the Edinburgh festival, dozens of players in kilts marched while sounding the bagpipes.
common Scottish cultural setting
Aunt Fiona learned the bagpipes as a girl in a small Scottish town near Inverness.
subject + verb + the bagpipes
The piper tuned the three drone pipes of his bagpipes before the parade began.
The wedding ended with a piper leading the guests outside, his bagpipes echoing off the stone walls.
- Highland pipes
the standard formal name for the Scottish variety
- Great Highland bagpipe
official name; used in classical and military contexts
文法句型
the bagpipes (Scottish context)
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense names the specific Scottish instrument with three drone pipes, not any bag-and-pipe instrument worldwide. Often appears with cultural cues like 'Scottish', 'Highland', 'kilt', or place names.
常見錯誤
bagpipe — adjective
1. describing music, lessons, or events that involve bagpipes, or sounds that come
describing music, lessons, or events that involve bagpipes, or sounds that come from bagpipes.
Kofi signed up for bagpipe lessons at the community centre near his school.
attributive: bagpipe + noun (lessons)
A loud bagpipe tune filled the cold morning air during the village parade.
bagpipe + tune
Her favourite radio show plays traditional bagpipe music from the Scottish Highlands.
The school formed a small bagpipe band that practised every Thursday afternoon.
- piping
more often used for the action or art of playing, as in 'piping competition'
文法句型
bagpipe + noun (music, band, tune, lesson)
用法筆記
Used only before a noun, never after the verb 'be'. Some dictionaries treat this use as a noun acting as a modifier rather than a true adjective; in everyday writing, the difference does not matter.