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 )

Example Sentences

Her bandmate Ian Lynch, 42, a singer who plays contributes both uilleann pipes and tape loops, added a clarification.

From New York Times

This allows Flaherty and Ahrens to customize song forms to suit each moment and explore genres that fit the milieu — cue the fiddle and uilleann pipes.

From New York Times

Opening track "Sat In Your Lap" featured then-Buggles member Geoff Downes contributing robotic horns via the Fairlight, while "Night of the Swallow" boasts Uilleann Pipes and a penny whistle.

From Salon

But Moloney was also an in-demand session musician, lending his haunting work on the uilleann pipes to recordings by the Stones, Stevie Wonder and others.

From BBC

Mr. Moloney remained a constant, playing the tin whistle and uilleann pipes — a gentler cousin of the Great Highland bagpipes — in addition to writing and arranging the band’s music.

From Washington Post