fife

Noun

WordNet 3.0

Noun (1)

  1. a small high-pitched flute similar to a piccolo; has a shrill tone and is used chiefly to accompany drums in a marching band
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Fife \Fife\ (f[imac]f), n. [F. fifre, OHG. pf[imac]fa, LL. pipa pipe, pipare to play on the pipe, fr. L. pipire, pipare, to peep, pip, chirp, as a chiken. See Pipe.] (Mus.) 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. [1913 Webster]

Fife \Fife\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Fifed; p. pr. & vb. n. fifing.] To play on a fife. [1913 Webster]
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