Word
piper
US/ˈpaɪpɝ/
UK/pˈaɪpɐ/
Definitions
01musician
n. someone who plays a musical instrument that looks like a tube, especially bagpipes.
n. a musician who plays a pipe or bagpipes.
“The piper led the parade through the streets while playing a traditional tune.”
“A lone piper stood on the castle battlements, the mournful notes of the bagpipes echoing across the valley at sunset.”
Synonyms
02idiomatic use
n. the person you must pay or face when you have done something wrong or made a choice.
n. the person to whom one must pay the consequences of one's actions, typically in the phrase 'pay the piper'.
“He spent all his savings on a luxury car, but now it is time to pay the piper.”
“After years of reckless fiscal policy, the government finally had to pay the piper as the economy entered a sharp recession.”
Literary
Usage
Almost exclusively used in the idiom 'pay the piper'.
Teaching tip
Learners will mostly see this in the proverb 'he who pays the piper calls the tune', meaning the person who provides the money controls the situation.
Synonyms
03drug user
n. a person who smokes crack cocaine.
n. a person who smokes crack cocaine, referring to the pipe used for the drug.
“The police were watching the house because they suspected a piper lived there.”
“The documentary explored the harsh realities of life for the pipers and dealers inhabiting the city's most neglected districts.”
Slang · Vulgar
Real-World Examples
“The ceremonial procession made its way along Plantation Road towards the Walled Gardens, accompanied by the music of a lone piper.” “Country star Gary P Nunn remembers him as a “pied piper”, leading musicians and eccentrics to a simpler life.” Word family
Idioms
pay the piper — To pay expenses for something, and thus be in a position to be in control.