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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1983 (DOST Vol. V).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Pipe, Pype, n.¹ Also: pyip(e; pip, pyp(p. [ME. and e.m.E. pipe (c 1205), pype (14th c.), pyppe (16th c.), OE. Pípe fem., OFris., MDu., MLG. Pîpe, ON. Pípa, L. pīpa.] A pipe, in various usual senses.

1. Any one of a number of musical instruments consisting basically of a single tube blown by the mouth; also, a bag-pipe (= b below).See also Bag-pipe, Lilt-pype.Also attrib.In pl., also = bagpipes. To tune up (one's) pipes, to begin to weep (also in the later dial.).(1) ?1438 Alex. ii. 11090.
Pypis, fistulis soundit raith c1475 Wall. viii. 1423.
As quha suld dryff the byrdis till a swar With the small pype, for it most fresche will call a1500 Colk. Sow i. 270.
He blew on a pype he Maid of a borit bourtre 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 857.
In dulce blastis of pypis [L. calamos] sweit but let 1503 Dunferm. B. Rec. I. 127.
Pip 1535 Stewart 12399.
With lute and pype, witht harp and symphony 1546 Acta Conc. & Sess. MS. XXI. 68 b.
Ane piperis pipe xij s. 1549 Compl. 65/20–23.
The fyrst hed ane drone bag pipe the nyxt hed ane pipe maid of ane bleddir and of ane reid … the feyrd [played] on ane corne pipe the fyft playit on ane pipe maid of ane gait horne 1565 Anal. Scot. II. 315.
That nane of thame tak upone hand to mak ony conventione with taburne plaing or pype or fedill 1566 Treas. Acc. XII. 31.
Playar upoun the pipe and quhissill 1587-99 Hume 33/224 (see Lilting-horne n.). 1607 Kinghorn Kirk S. 9.
Hendrie Gourlay … grantit that he playd upon his pyp upon the last Sabothe 1643 Saltoun Kirk S. in Reliq. Antiq. Sc. 157.
Will. Livingstoun, creeple, supplicated the session … to buy him ane pyp quherby he might win his living 1680 Banff Ann. I. 159.
For his goeing morneing and ewining throw the toun with his pyp 1719 Life and Death of Sharp 15.
If the pipe and bags be yet in the prelats possession … it is like he may now … gift them to some landart church to save the expences of a pair of organsattrib. 1661 Soc. Ant. XXII. 254.
They hade pipe musick and dauncing(2) 1587-99 Hume 54/58.
On hieland pypes Scots and Hybernik Let heir the shraichs of deadly clarions 1677 Stirling Common Good 112.
For ane chantrill to the pypers pypes(3) 1657 R. Moray Lett. fol. 68.
I shall be ready to tune up my pipes

b. Grit pipe, a bagpipe ( ? of the ‘Highland’ type). Also attrib.Cf. Gael. pìob-mhòr, ‘the great Highland bagpipes’. 1592 Elgin Rec. II. 26, 27.
James Roy, pyper, accusit for ganging through the toun playing on his gryit pyipe in the nycht seasoun … for playing this last Sonday vpoun his gryit pyip 1600 Stirling Presb. in Hume xxxiv.
His master … brak his small pip … and thereafter compellit him to play on the great pip 1607 Kinghorn Kirk S. 9.
Hendrie Gourlay confessit that Bessie Kirkcaldie bad him play on the grit pyp 1608 Haddington B. Rec. (Robb) 24 Jan.
[He] obleisses him to stryke upoun the swasch throw all the streits … at all proclamatiouns … and gif it sall happen be wet wether, he sall play with the greit pype throw all the parts of the said burch ?a1648 Polemo-Mid. 66.
Ante alios piperlaius heros Præcedens, magnam gestans cum burdine pyppam 1667 Highland P. II. 43.
Causing ther pyper bend up a great pipeattrib. 1666-74 Fraser Polichron. 502.
And the great pipe martiall musick my lord licked well

c. An organ-pipe. — 1579, 1617 Despauter (1579).
Cantes, pypis of organis

2. A tubular bodily organ or passage, as an artery, vein, etc.Only in Doug., fig. in hart pipe, see also Hart n.¹ 4. 1513 Doug. vi. ii. 47.
Apollo … Bridillis hir sprete … From hir hart pipis his fers brod withdrawing

3. A hollow pipe for the conveyance of water or other liquid (from a vat).The quot. for 1519 may possibly belong to Pipe n.² 1519 Reg. Episc. Aberd. II. 174.
The pypis of ane aqua vite falt 1552–3 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 337.
For … ane lok and ane pype to the watter stop 1558 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 271. 1635 Stirling's Royal Lett. II. 819.
As also of all conduit pypis for conducting and raising of watters 1674 Edinb. B. Rec. X. 181.
Leaddine pyps for convoyeing the water to the citie

4. A cylindrical tube or rod, for various other purposes (see quots.); a cylinder-shaped article.Also attrib. in pipe-ke(y (a key with a hollow stem, made to fit over a small pin in the lock: e.m.E. pype key (1540)) and pipe-lok ( ? a lock operated by such a key, or ? a lock in the form of a hollow cylinder). See also (2) below, and Pipit ppl. a.Also transf. in pypes of ice, icicles.(1) 1534 Treas. Acc. VI. 233.
Ane pype of irne to the botis ruder 1589–1600 Skipper's Acc. (Morton) 61 a.
For v pypes … to our roder(2) 1590 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 402.
For mending the stol lock … & for making ane new pyp … thairto a 1700 Dunferm. Hammermen .
[Blacksmith's essay was] ane bigg locke with pipe and six crossmarks(3) 1627 Kellie Pallas Armata 3A.
I haue seene some [sc. pikemen] weare puldrons [shoulder plates] or arme pypes, and those are defensiue(4) 16.. Alchem. MSS. V.
And have a pott with a pype efter this facon above with his cover adapted(5) 1700 Moncreiffs 370.
Debursements … on account of the field pieces … for small whyte iron pype made use of in quick shouting 1702 Ib. 371.
Pypsattrib. 1527–8 Stirling B. Rec. I. 32.
Ane kee of ane pyp lok 1582 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 149.
For ane ke to the pyp loik of the mekill duir in the kirk 1590 Ib. 402.
For ane new pyp key to the poulpet dur 1618 M. Works Acc. (ed.) II. 101.
For a great key to a pyip lock to my Lord Marris baik hous 1629 Justiciary Cases I. 101.
And thair was nevir pype lok or uther lok or hoill or vestigium upone the dur bot only barris uithintransf. 1596 Dalr. I. 46/18.
Thay ryde into this riuer … to thow the pypes and schokles of yce, frosin vpon thame

5. A tobacco pipe (e.m.E., in this sense (1599), pipe of tabacco (1592)).(a) 1604-31 Craig i. 40/3.
From pype of Roame and for thy saike I souke The flegm-attractiue far-fett Indian smouke 1608 Crim. Trials III. ii.
Lord Maxwell come in to the deponer, satt doun besyde him, drank tua pypis of tabaca 1638 Household Bk. M. Stewart 29.
For two half pounds tobako and 18 pypes to spend at her leikwake 1670 Dumbarton B. Rec. 86.
Sex dissen of glessin pypes for tobbaco(b) 1649 Sc. Ant. IV. 28.
Pieces of tobaco pyps & broken candel in ther drink, & then they drank till they behoved all be washen over hands & feat 1684 Oliphants 289.
Payed for tobaco and pyps to the lequack 1692 Old Ross-shire I. 152.
Funerals of the Lady Mey dowager … for ane gross and halfe of pypps dureing the likewake and 10½ lbs. tobacco 1695 Foulis Acc. Bk. 186.
For 4 tobacco pyps 0.0.8.