Also called Fifeshire. a historic county in E Scotland.
a region in E Scotland. 504 sq. mi. (1,305 sq. km).
1540–50; < German Pfeife pipe 1
A fife is a musical instrument that looks like a very small flute. Fifes are usually made of wood, rather than metal, and are common in military marching bands. A fife is much more high-pitched than a flute—it's also louder and more shrill sounding. It was a popular instrument in some of the folk music in medieval Europe, and especially during the Colonial period in America, when it was played more than violins or pianos. Because it's so portable and relatively loud for its size, the fife became widely used in military and marching bands starting during the Renaissance period.
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The former BiFab fabrication yard at Methil in Fife failed to cash in on demand for offshore wind turbines, but since becoming part of the Harland & Wolff group things are looking up.
From BBC • Jul. 1, 2026
What stories would you like BBC News to cover from Edinburgh, Fife and the east of Scotland?
From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026
Fife Council recorded the third highest number at 3,524, up 50%.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Fife Council said the waste transfer and processing facility remains closed while emergency services deal with the incident.
From BBC • May 16, 2026
Shem & John was lagging behind, striking each other on the Shoulders, & Prince was before us, playing upon the Fife.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
