n. [ AS. pīpe, probably fr. L. pipare, pipire, to chirp; of imitative origin. Cf. Peep, Pibroch, Fife. ] 1. A wind instrument of music, consisting of a tube or tubes of straw, reed, wood, or metal; any tube which produces musical sounds; as, a shepherd's pipe; the pipe of an organ. “Tunable as sylvan pipe.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
Now had he rather hear the tabor and the pipe. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
2. Any long tube or hollow body of wood, metal, earthenware, or the like: especially, one used as a conductor of water, steam, gas, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]
3. A small bowl with a hollow stem, -- used in smoking tobacco, and, sometimes, other substances. [ 1913 Webster ]
4. A passageway for the air in speaking and breathing; the windpipe, or one of its divisions. [ 1913 Webster ]
5. The key or sound of the voice. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]
6. The peeping whistle, call, or note of a bird. [ 1913 Webster ]
The earliest pipe of half-awakened birds. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]
7. pl. The bagpipe; as, the pipes of Lucknow. [ 1913 Webster ]
8. (Mining) An elongated body or vein of ore. [ 1913 Webster ]
9. A roll formerly used in the English exchequer, otherwise called the Great Roll, on which were taken down the accounts of debts to the king; -- so called because put together like a pipe. Mozley & W. [ 1913 Webster ]
10. (Naut.) A boatswain's whistle, used to call the crew to their duties; also, the sound of it. [ 1913 Webster ]
11. [ Cf. F. pipe, fr. pipe a wind instrument, a tube, fr. L. pipare to chirp. See Etymol. above. ] A cask usually containing two hogsheads, or 126 wine gallons; also, the quantity which it contains. [ 1913 Webster ]
Pipe fitter, one who fits pipes together, or applies pipes, as to an engine or a building. --
Pipe fitting, a piece, as a coupling, an elbow, a valve, etc., used for connecting lengths of pipe or as accessory to a pipe. --
Pipe office, an ancient office in the Court of Exchequer, in which the clerk of the pipe made out leases of crown lands, accounts of cheriffs, etc. [ Eng. ] --
Pipe tree (Bot.), the lilac and the mock orange; -- so called because their were formerly used to make pipe stems; -- called also pipe privet. --
Pipe wrench, or
Pipe tongs, a jawed tool for gripping a pipe, in turning or holding it. --
To smoke the pipe of peace, to smoke from the same pipe in token of amity or preparatory to making a treaty of peace, -- a custom of the American Indians. [ 1913 Webster ]