piper

[ pahy-per ]

noun

1. a person who plays on a pipe.
2. a bagpiper.

Piper

¹

/ ˈpaɪpə /

noun

1. PiperJohn19031992MBritishARTS AND CRAFTS: artist John. 1903–92, British artist. An official war artist in World War II, he is known esp for his watercolours of bombed churches and his stained glass in Coventry Cathedral

piper

²

/ ˈpaɪpə /

noun

1. a person who plays a pipe or bagpipes
2. pay the piper and call the tune
   to bear the cost of an undertaking and control it

Word History and Origins

Origin of piper¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English pīpere. See pipe ¹, -er ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. pay the piper,
   1. to pay the cost of something.
   2. to bear the unfavorable consequences of one's actions or pleasures:

      Someday he'll have to pay the piper for all that gambling.

More idioms and phrases containing piper

see call the tune (pay the piper) .

Example Sentences

Two pipers were sent down to play the Skye Boat Song at the launch ceremony.

From BBC

A “spectacular evening” followed which ended with pipers marching around the dinner table, according to the British ambassador to Bahrain, Alastair Long, on Instagram.

From BBC

George Anderson, of Woodland Trust Scotland, said: "It is the tree that time forgot but the piper remembered."

From BBC

“I took on this odd role of being the pied piper of bocce,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

The 78-year-old said teeth were really important to pipers because without a firm grip on the mouthpiece they can't get the power of their breath into the bag.

From BBC