pipa

British

/ ˈpiːpə /

noun

a tongueless South American toad, Pipa pipa, that carries its young in pits in the skin of its back

"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 pipa

C18: from Surinam dialect, probably of African origin

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.

Monkey’s capture comes about by his being believably beguiled by the sound of the lute-like pipa.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2025

With fewer students, Northwest couldn’t afford to continue lessons on the dizi and pipa, Chinese musical instruments.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 31, 2021

The movie also uses traditional Chinese instruments, like the pipa and guzheng, while singing in Mandarin is heard.

From Washington Times • Oct. 20, 2020

Concert organizers were able to find a replacement instrument for her to borrow but she couldn’t repair her pipa until her next trip to China.

From The Guardian • Feb. 14, 2020

"Fumo di gloria non vale fumo di pipa."

From Wisdom, Wit, and Pathos of Ouida Selected from the Works of Ouida by Ouida

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