pibroch

[ pee-brokh ]

/ ˈpi brɒx /

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noun

(in the Scottish Highlands) a piece of music for the bagpipe, consisting of a series of variations on a basic theme, usually martial in character, but sometimes used as a dirge.

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Origin of pibroch

1710–20; <Scots Gaelic piobaireachd piper music, equivalent to piobair piper (piobpipe¹ + -air agent suffix ≪ Latin -ārius-ary) + -eachd noun suffix denoting quality or state

Words nearby pibroch

piazza, Piazzi, pibal, pibgorn, piblokto, pibroch, pic, pica, Picabia, picadillo, picador

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

How to use pibroch in a sentence

But Robin only held out his hand as if to ask for silence, and struck into the slow music of a pibroch.
The Ontario Readers: Fourth Book|Various
Silent and alone she sat until break of day, when she was aroused by the shrill pibroch, heavy footsteps, and the clank of arms.
The Mysteries of All Nations|James Grant
The Celtic population of the British Isles contributed a few words, such as pibroch, clan, bard.
Elementary Guide to Literary Criticism|F. V. N. Painter
But Robin only held out his hand as if to ask for silence, and struck into the slow measure of a pibroch.
Kidnapped|Robert Louis Stevenson

The body was committed to the earth, the pipers playing a pibroch all the time; and all the company standing uncovered.
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker|Tobias Smollett

British Dictionary definitions for pibroch

pibroch

/ (ˈpiːbrɒk, Gaelic ˈpiːbrɒx) /

noun

a form of music for Scottish bagpipes, consisting of a theme and variations

a piece of such music

Word Origin for pibroch

C18: from Gaelic piobaireachd, from piobair piper

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