hornpipe

[ hawrn-pahyp ]

/ ˈhɔrnˌpaɪp /

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noun

an English folk clarinet having one ox horn concealing the reed and another forming the bell.

a lively jiglike dance, originally to music played on a hornpipe, performed usually by one person, and traditionally a favorite of sailors.

a piece of music for or in the style of such a dance.

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Origin of hornpipe

1350–1400; Middle English. See horn, pipe¹

Words nearby hornpipe

horn in on, hornito, horn-mad, Horn of Africa, horn of plenty, hornpipe, horn poppy, hornpout, horn-rimmed, horn-rims, horns and halo effect

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hornpipe in a sentence

Few were the dances in which I did not take a part, sinking so low as occasionally to oblige with a hornpipe.
In the Wrong Paradise|Andrew Lang
I am, sir, no prologue; But in plain terms must tell you we are provided Of a lusty hornpipe.
The Plays of Philip Massinger|Philip Massinger
When Captain Scraggs had completed his hornpipe on his hat he threw an appealing glance at his new mate.
Captain Scraggs|Peter B. Kyne
When, however, one of the stage sailors came on and volunteered to dance a hornpipe, his indignation knew no bounds.
True Blue|W.H.G. Kingston

“I told you, Bill, that hornpipe of yours would gain friends wherever you go,” said Jack.
Sunshine Bill|W H G Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for hornpipe

hornpipe

/ (ˈhɔːnˌpaɪp) /

noun

an obsolete reed instrument with a mouthpiece made of horn

an old British solo dance to a hornpipe accompaniment, traditionally performed by sailors

a piece of music for such a dance

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