Definition

1. Noun:

   • A shrill, wailing sound, especially that of bagpipes: "skirl" refers to the high-pitched, penetrating sound characteristic of the chanter of a bagpipe.

2. Verb (intransitive):

   • To emit a shrill, wailing sound: "skirl" describes the action of making such a sound, often used for bagpipes but also applicable to other sources.
   • To play the bagpipes: In specific contexts, "skirl" can mean to play this instrument, emphasizing the production of its distinctive sound.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The skirl of the bagpipes echoed across the glen.
  • A distant skirl announced the start of the parade.

• Verb:

  • The pipes began to skirl as the regiment marched.
  • The wind seemed to skirl through the narrow alley.

Advanced Usage

• Descriptive Use: Often used in literary or descriptive contexts to evoke a specific auditory atmosphere.
  • The lonely skirl of a single piper could be heard over the moor.

Variants and Related Words

• Skirling (adj/gerund): Making or characterized by a shrill, wailing sound.
  • The skirling music filled the air.

Synonyms

• Shrill (verb/noun): To make or a high-pitched and piercing sound.
• Wail (verb/noun): To make or a long, high-pitched cry of pain, grief, or sound.
• Pipe (verb): To play on a pipe or bagpipe.

Notes on Meaning

• The word is most strongly and specifically associated with the sound of bagpipes. Its use for other sounds (like wind) is metaphorical, drawing a direct comparison to the instrument's sound.

Noun

1. the sound of (the chanter of) a bagpipe

Verb

1. play the bagpipes
2. make a shrill, wailing sound
   • skirling bagpipes