FIFE

fife

(noun) a small high-pitched flute similar to a piccolo; has a shrill tone and is used chiefly to accompany drums in a marching band

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Noun

fife (plural fifes)

A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music

Verb

fife (third-person singular simple present fifes, present participle fifing, simple past and past participle fifed)

To play this instrument.

Etymology 2

Numeral

fife

Used instead of five in radio communications to avoid confusion.

Anagrams

• fief

Etymology

Proper noun

Fife

A traditional county of Scotland succeeded by Fife Region in 1975, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with landward boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire.

A council area in Scotland, one of 32 created in 1996.

Anagrams

• fief

Source: Wiktionary


Fife, n. Etym: [F. fifre, OHG. pfifa, LL. pipa pipe, pipare to play on the pipe, fr. L. pipire, pipare, to peep, pip, chirp, as a chiken. See Pipe.] (Mus.)

Definition: A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music. Fife major (Mil.), a noncommissioned officer who superintends the fifers of a regiment.

– Fife rail. (Naut.) (a) A rail about the mast, at the deck, to hold belaying pins, etc. (b) A railing around the break of a poop deck.

Fife, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fifed; p. pr. & vb. n. fifing.]

Definition: To play on a fife.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 March 2025

INDWELLING

(adjective) existing or residing as an inner activating spirit or force or principle; “an indwelling divinity”; “an indwelling goodness”


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