hornpipe

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A musical instrument consisting of a wooden pipe, with holes at intervals.
  2. A solo dance commonly associated with seamen, involving kicking of the legs, with the arms mostly crossed.
  3. A hard-shoe solo dance commonly performed in Irish stepdance, usually danced in 2/4 time.
  4. Music played to the hornpipe dance
verb
  1. To dance the hornpipe.

Word forms

hornpipe hornpipes hornpiping hornpiped

Etymology

From Middle English hornpipe, hornpype, hornepipe, equivalent to horn + pipe; so called because the bell at the open end was sometimes made of horn.

Derived words

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