pibroch

American

[pee-brokh] / ˈpi brɒx /

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.

pibroch British

/ ˈpiːbrɒx, ˈpiːbrɒk /

noun

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

"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

Etymology

Origin of pibroch

1710–20; < Scots Gaelic piobaireachd piper music, equivalent to piobair piper ( piob pipe ¹ + -air agent suffix ≪ Latin -ārius -ary ) + -eachd noun suffix denoting quality or state

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.

See Examples For:

pibroch

He was an oddball who played pibroch, ancient Celtic bagpipes that predate musical notation and are taught by voice.

From The New Yorker ● Aug. 22, 2016

As they drove off in a crystal coach, bagpipers skirled a pibroch, and the great bells pealed.

From Time Magazine Archive

There developed in Scotland a warlike form of music called in Gaelic Piobaireachd in English, pibroch.

From Time Magazine Archive

In 18th century football matches, each team had its bag- piper who entered the field and played the pibroch during the game to inspirit the players.

From Time Magazine Archive

He gloomed at her, and hissed between his teeth a Skye pibroch.

From Gilian The Dreamer His Fancy, His Love and Adventure by Neil Munro

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