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uillean pipes

British  
/ ˈɪlɪn, ˈɪlən /

plural noun

  1. Also called: Irish pipes.   union pipes.  bagpipes developed in Ireland and operated by squeezing bellows under the arm

"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 uillean pipes

C19: Irish píob uilleann , from píob pipe + uilleann genitive sing of uille elbow

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.

In Braveheart, for example, Horner melds the lonely sound of the Irish uillean pipes and the Peruvian flute with a modern symphony orchestra to portray Mel Gibson's doomed hero.

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.