fife

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)

CIDE DICTIONARY

fife, n. [F. fifre, OHG. pfīfa, LL. pipa pipe, pipare to play on the pipe, fr. L. pipire, pipare, to peep, pip, chirp, as a chiken. See Pipe.].

 A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music.  [1913 Webster]

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. 

 To play on a fife.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

fife, n. & v.
--n.
1 a kind of small shrill flute used with the drum in military music.
2 its player.
--v.
1 intr. play the fife.
2 tr. play (an air etc.) on the fife.

Derivative

fifer n.

Etymology

G Pfeife PIPE, or F fifre f. Swiss G Pfifre piper

THESAURUS

fife

English horn, Pandean pipe, aulos, bagpipe, basset horn, basset oboe, bassoon, blow, blow a horn, bombard, bugle, carillon, clarinet, clarion, contrabassoon, contrafagotto, cromorne, doodle, double bassoon, double reed, double-tongue, fipple flute, flageolet, flute, hautboy, heckelphone, hornpipe, licorice stick, lip, musette, oaten reed, oboe, oboe da caccia, ocarina, panpipe, penny-whistle, piccolo, pipe, pommer, recorder, reed, reed instrument, sax, saxophone, shawm, single reed, single-reed instrument, sonorophone, sound, sweet potato, syrinx, tabor pipe, tenoroon, tin-whistle, tongue, toot, tootle, triple-tongue, trumpet, tweedle, whistle, wind, wind the horn, woods, woodwind, woodwind choir, woodwind instrument

ROGET THESAURUS

fife

Musical Instruments

N musical instruments, band, string-band, brass-band, orchestra, orchestrina, monochord, polychord, harp, lyre, lute, archlute, mandola, mandolin, mandoline, guitar, zither, cither, cithern, gittern, rebeck, bandurria, bandura, banjo, bina, vina, xanorphica, viol, violin, fiddle, kit, viola, viola d'amore, viola di gamba, tenor, cremona, violoncello, bass, bass viol, base viol, theorbo, double base, contrabasso, violone, psaltery, bow, fiddlestick, piano, pianoforte, harpsichord, clavichord, clarichord, manichord, clavier, spinet, virginals, dulcimer, hurdy-gurdy, vielle, pianino, Eolian harp, organ, harmonium, harmoniphon, American organ, barrel organ, hand organ, accordion, seraphina, concertina, humming top, flute, fife, piccolo, flageolet, clarinet, claronet, basset horn, corno di bassetto, oboe, hautboy, cor Anglais, corno Inglese, bassoon, double bassoon, contrafagotto, serpent, bass clarinet, bagpipes, union pipes, musette, ocarina, Pandean pipes, reed instrument, sirene, pipe, pitch-pipe, sourdet, whistle, catcall, doodlesack, harmoniphone, horn, bugle, cornet, cornet-a-pistons, cornopean, clarion, trumpet, trombone, ophicleide, French horn, saxophone, sax, buglehorn, saxhorn, flugelhorn, althorn, helicanhorn, posthorn, sackbut, euphonium, bombardon tuba, cymbal, bell, gong, tambour, tambourine, tamborine, drum, tom-tom, tabor, tabret, tabourine, taborin, side drum, kettle drum, timpani, tympani, tymbal, timbrel, castanet, bones, musical glasses, musical stones, harmonica, sounding-board, rattle, tam-tam, zambomba, reed, tuning fork, triangle, Jew's harp, musical box, harmonicon, xylophone, sordine, sordet, sourdine, sourdet, mute, (iv) PERCEPTION OF SOUND.