uilleann pipes

or uil·lean pipes

[ ahy-luhn ]

plural noun

1. Often uilleann pipe. Irish bagpipes held on the knee or under the arms with bellows operated by the elbow.

Word History and Origins

Origin of uilleann pipes¹

First recorded in 1875–80; from Irish píob uilleann “pipe of the elbow,” from Irish Gaelic píob “pipe” (ultimately from Vulgar Latin pipa) + uilleann, genitive singular of uillin “elbow,” akin to Latin ulna, Greek ōlénē, Old English eln, elnboga, elboga elbow ( def )