bagpipes

British

/ ˈbæɡˌpaɪps /

plural noun

any of a family of musical wind instruments in which sounds are produced in reed pipes supplied with air from a bag inflated either by the player's mouth, as in the Irish bagpipes or Highland bagpipes of Scotland, or by arm-operated bellows, as in the Northumbrian bagpipes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The next dinner on July 25, “A Feast for Celtic Sea Kings,” promises live bagpipes and traditional Irish fare, and is hosted by chef Brian Duffy.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Testing the human animal’s tolerance for plaintive fiddles, wheezy bagpipes, Peter Coyote and the whispery recitations of diary entries, “The American Revolution” is the most Ken Burns-y of Ken Burns series.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

After three hours of worship from Christian music artists, the service opened with bagpipes playing “Amazing Grace.”

From Salon • Sep. 21, 2025

After piper Malcolm Campbell was shot and left for dead during World War One, he credited his bagpipes with helping to save his life.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2025

I hear mandolins, guitars, Spanish bagpipes, the drums of Africa, boatmen wailing on the Nile.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023