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Flute vs Fife - What's the difference?

flute | fife |

As nouns the difference between flute and fife

is that flute is a woodwind instrument consisting of a metal, wood or bamboo tube with a row of circular holes and played by blowing across a hole in the side of one end or through a narrow channel at one end against a sharp edge, while covering none, some or all of the holes with the fingers to vary the note played while fife is a small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music.

As verbs the difference between flute and fife

is that flute is to play on a flute while fife is to play this instrument.

As a proper noun Fife is

a traditional county of Scotland now a Unitary Authority, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with landward boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire.

flute

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) flaute, from (etyl) flaut, ultimately from three possibilities: * Blend of Provencal * From Latin * Imitative.

Noun

(en noun)
  • (musical instruments) A woodwind instrument consisting of a metal, wood or bamboo tube with a row of circular holes and played by blowing across a hole in the side of one end or through a narrow channel at one end against a sharp edge, while covering none, some or all of the holes with the fingers to vary the note played.
  • * Alexander Pope
  • The breathing flute's soft notes are heard around.
  • A glass with a long, narrow bowl and a long stem, used for drinking wine, especially champagne.
  • a lengthwise groove, such as one of the lengthwise grooves on a can escape
  • (architecture, firearms) A semicylindrical vertical groove, as in a pillar, in plaited cloth, or in a rifle barrel to cut down the weight.
  • A long French bread roll.
  • (Simmonds)
  • An organ stop with a flute-like sound.
  • Derived terms
    * pan flute * skin flute
    See also
    * bansuri

    Verb

  • To play on a .
  • To make a flutelike sound.
  • To utter with a flutelike sound.
  • *
  • To form flutes or channels in (as in a column, a ruffle, etc.); to cut a semicylindrical vertical groove in (as in a pillar, etc.).
  • Etymology 2

    Compare (etyl) ?, (etyl) fluit.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A kind of flyboat; a storeship.
  • fife

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A small shrill pipe, resembling the piccolo flute, used chiefly to accompany the drum in military music
  • Verb

    (fif)
  • To play this instrument.
  • Anagrams

    * ----