noun
Uncommon
fife
FYF
Fife (noun) means a small, high-pitched flute-like instrument traditionally played alongside drums in military music. Example: “The parade opened with the shrill sound of fife and drum.”
noun
1
A small, high-pitched flute-like instrument traditionally played alongside drums in military music.
"The parade opened with the shrill sound of fife and drum."
num
1
In radio and military spelling alphabets, a way of saying "five" clearly to avoid confusion with "fire" or "nine."
"“Change course to two fife zero and reduce height to fifteen hundred feet.” That “fife,” thought Alan, sounded very affected; but it had a good survival value in a noisy background."
— Arthur C Clarke (1963)
"The pilot read back the altitude as "tree tousand fife hundred.""
How to use fife
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small shrill military flute, or (in radio-speak) a deliberately clear way of saying "five."
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Word forms
- Plural
- fifes
- Third person singular
- fifes
- Past tense
- fifed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The parade opened with the shrill sound of _____ and drum.
Etymology
Borrowed from German Pfeife, "pipe" or "whistle" — a distant relative of the English word "pipe."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for fife
See all rhymes for fife →Frequently asked questions
What does “fife” mean?
The word “fife” means a small, high-pitched flute-like instrument traditionally played alongside drums in military music. In plain terms, a small shrill military flute, or (in radio-speak) a deliberately clear way of saying "five.".
How do you pronounce “fife”?
“Fife” is pronounced FYF (/ˈfaɪf/ in IPA).
How do you use “fife” in a sentence?
Here is “fife” used in a sentence: “The parade opened with the shrill sound of fife and drum.”
What part of speech is “fife”?
Depending on how it is used, “fife” can be a noun and a num.
Where does the word “fife” come from?
The word “fife” comes from German. Borrowed from German Pfeife, "pipe" or "whistle" — a distant relative of the English word "pipe.".
Is “fife” a common word?
“Fife” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “fife” have?
“Fife” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small, high-pitched flute-like instrument traditionally played alongside drums in military music.
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