# pipe

/ˈpaɪp/ (US) · /pˈaɪp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pipe
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. a tube for liquid or gas

noun · CEFR A2

a long, hollow tube used to carry water, gas, or oil from one place to another.

For teachers: a hollow cylinder or conduit used to convey fluids, gases, or finely divided solids.

- The plumber had to fix a leaking pipe under the kitchen sink.
- Corrosion in the main water pipe led to a significant drop in pressure across the entire residential district.

### 2. for smoking tobacco

noun · CEFR B1

a tool with a small bowl and a tube used for smoking tobacco.

For teachers: a device for smoking tobacco, typically consisting of a bowl for the tobacco and a hollow stem through which smoke is drawn.

- The old man sat on the porch smoking his pipe and watching the sunset.
- He meticulously cleaned his briar pipe after every use to ensure the tobacco flavour remained untainted by ash.

### 3. musical instrument

noun · CEFR B2

a simple musical instrument shaped like a tube that you blow into.

For teachers: a hollow wind instrument, such as a flute or the tubes of an organ, that produces sound when air is blown through it.

- The shepherd played a simple tune on a wooden pipe.
- The cathedral's organ features over three thousand pipes, ranging from tiny metal tubes to massive wooden structures.

### 4. computing symbol

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the vertical line symbol (|) on a keyboard used to connect computer programs.

For teachers: the vertical bar character (|) used in command-line interfaces to redirect the output of one process to the input of another.

- You can use a pipe to send the list of files to a search tool.
- The developer used a pipe to chain several commands together, efficiently filtering the log files for specific error codes.

### 5. to transport through tubes

verb · CEFR B2

to move a liquid or gas through a system of tubes.

For teachers: to convey or transmit a fluid or gas through a system of conduits.

- Natural gas is piped into the city from the offshore platforms.
- The facility is designed to pipe recycled water directly to the cooling towers to reduce environmental impact.

### 6. to decorate food

verb · CEFR B2

to use a small bag to squeeze icing or cream onto food in a decorative way.

For teachers: to apply a decorative line or pattern of icing, cream, or paste to food using a pastry bag.

- She carefully piped the words 'Happy Birthday' onto the cake.
- The pastry chef piped delicate rosettes of chocolate ganache around the edge of the tart.

## Examples

- A plumber fixes the broken water pipe.
- The main water pipe burst, flooding the street and cutting off the supply to several homes.
- Engineers had to lay miles of reinforced pipe across the desert to transport oil from the remote wellhead to the coastal refinery.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.