fife

Meaning

Noun

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

Verb

To play this instrument.

Num

Used instead of five in radio communications, especially NATO and ICAO, to avoid confusion with fire.

Synonyms

pipe

flute

🪈

whistle

piccolo

siren

straw

clarionet

tin-whistle

pennywhistle

horn

oboe

reed

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈfaɪf/

Etymology

From German Pfeife (“whistle, smoking pipe”). Doublet of pipe.