pipe up

British

verb

to commence singing or playing a musical instrument

the band piped up
to speak up, esp in a shrill voice

"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

pipe up Idioms

Speak up, as in Finally she piped up, “I think I've got the winning ticket,” or Pipe up if you want more pancakes. This term originally referred to a high, piping tone. [Mid-1800s]

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.

Do you pipe up with your preferred choice — Hawaiian — or stay quiet?

From Salon • Nov. 27, 2023

Do I have to run an ugly plastic pipe up through the countertop and through the ceiling?

From Seattle Times • Aug. 25, 2022

It sounds lulling, but a full house and lounge-y soundtrack require diners to pipe up and lean in at dinner.

From Washington Post • Mar. 25, 2022

That is: constantly lying in wait, ready to pipe up.

From Slate • Oct. 16, 2019

We laugh and I pipe up, surprising myself.

From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon

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