uillean pipes

/ ˈɪlɪn; ˈɪlən /

plural noun

1. bagpipes developed in Ireland and operated by squeezing bellows under the arm Also calledIrish pipesunion pipes

Word History and Origins

Origin of uillean pipes¹

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

Example Sentences

Black 47 was started by Larry Kirwan, an East Village rocker and playwright and from County Wexford, and Chris Byrne, a New York City police officer with a thing for Donegal, the Uillean Pipes, and rapping.

From The New Yorker

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.

From Time Magazine Archive