English Explanatory Dictionary

pipe dream

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A desire or idea which is unlikely to materialize, or a plan which is unlikely to work; a near impossibility.

Pronunciation

/ˈpaɪp driːm/ /ˈpaɪp ˌdrim/ En-au-pipe dream.ogg

Word forms

pipe dream pipe dreams pipedream

Etymology

From pipe + dream, referring to the fantasies experienced when smoking an opium pipe. Compare Old English pīpdrēam (“the sound or music of a pipe”), which is formed identically but has a different meaning.

Synonyms

castle in the air pie in the sky

Derived words

pipe-dream pipedreamed pipe-dreamer pipe dreaming
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