noun
fife
FYF
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."
"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."
Word Forms
fifed past tense, fifes plural, fifes singular
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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."