skirl


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skirl

 (skûrl)
v. skirled, skirl·ing, skirls
v.intr.
To produce a high, shrill, wailing tone. Used of bagpipes.
v.tr.
To play (a piece) on bagpipes.
n.
1. The shrill sound made by the chanter pipe of bagpipes.
2. A shrill wailing sound: "The skirl of a police whistle split the stillness" (Sax Rohmer).

[Middle English skrillen, skirlen, probably of Scandinavian origin.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

skirl

(skɜːl; Scottish skɪrl)
vb (intr)
1. (Music, other) dialect Scot and Northern English (esp of bagpipes) to emit a shrill sound
2. (Music, other) to play the bagpipes
n
3. (Music, other) the sound of bagpipes
4. a shrill sound
[C14: probably of Scandinavian origin; see shrill]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

skirl

(skɜrl)

v.i.
1. to play the bagpipe.
n.
2. the sound of a bagpipe.
[1350–1400; Middle English scirlen,skrillen (v.), perhaps < Scandinavian; compare Norwegian skrella boom, crash]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Skirl

 of pipers: company of bag-pipe players—Lipton, 1970.
Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

skirl


Past participle: skirled
Gerund: skirling

Imperative
skirl
skirl
Present
I skirl
you skirl
he/she/it skirls
we skirl
you skirl
they skirl
Preterite
I skirled
you skirled
he/she/it skirled
we skirled
you skirled
they skirled
Present Continuous
I am skirling
you are skirling
he/she/it is skirling
we are skirling
you are skirling
they are skirling
Present Perfect
I have skirled
you have skirled
he/she/it has skirled
we have skirled
you have skirled
they have skirled
Past Continuous
I was skirling
you were skirling
he/she/it was skirling
we were skirling
you were skirling
they were skirling
Past Perfect
I had skirled
you had skirled
he/she/it had skirled
we had skirled
you had skirled
they had skirled
Future
I will skirl
you will skirl
he/she/it will skirl
we will skirl
you will skirl
they will skirl
Future Perfect
I will have skirled
you will have skirled
he/she/it will have skirled
we will have skirled
you will have skirled
they will have skirled
Future Continuous
I will be skirling
you will be skirling
he/she/it will be skirling
we will be skirling
you will be skirling
they will be skirling
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been skirling
you have been skirling
he/she/it has been skirling
we have been skirling
you have been skirling
they have been skirling
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been skirling
you will have been skirling
he/she/it will have been skirling
we will have been skirling
you will have been skirling
they will have been skirling
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been skirling
you had been skirling
he/she/it had been skirling
we had been skirling
you had been skirling
they had been skirling
Conditional
I would skirl
you would skirl
he/she/it would skirl
we would skirl
you would skirl
they would skirl
Past Conditional
I would have skirled
you would have skirled
he/she/it would have skirled
we would have skirled
you would have skirled
they would have skirled
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.skirl - the sound of (the chanter of) a bagpipe
sound - the sudden occurrence of an audible event; "the sound awakened them"
Verb1.skirl - make a shrill, wailing sound; "skirling bagpipes"
sound, go - make a certain noise or sound; "She went `Mmmmm'"; "The gun went `bang'"
2.skirl - play the bagpipes
music - musical activity (singing or whistling etc.); "his music was his central interest"
play - perform music on (a musical instrument); "He plays the flute"; "Can you play on this old recorder?"
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations

skirl

[skɜːl] N (Scot) the skirl of the pipesel son or la música de la gaita
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

skirl

n the skirl of the bagpipesdas Pfeifen der Dudelsäcke
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
References in classic literature ?
He makes 'em skirl like a good one," cried Will from the box, eager to air the accomplishments of his race.
ye'll find Miss Blanche a bit baulder than to skirl at a flash o' lightning, that gait!
Whether you prefer the massed marching bands, the skirl of the pipes and drums, the fast-paced action of the field gun or the flyball dog races, or the pomp and pageantry of the massed standard bearers, there is something for all the family.
The skirl of the bagpipes would have provided a happy clarion call to visitors to signal the recommencement of proceedings, so it is fitting that the band is joining us a century on."
He said: "The crowds were brilliant and hearing the skirl of the pipes echoing along Sixth Avenue made me dance a wee jig in my heart."
THE skirl of a bagpipe could be heard through a care home as residents and staff celebrated Burns Night.
Military Tattoo (August 3-25): If the skirl of the massed pipes doesn't stir your soul, nothing will.
1977: Sitting proudly at the top, and featuring the skirl of the bagpipes, was Wings with Mull Of Kintyre.
Dubai: To the skirl of bagpipes, Bill Duff, the man who many believed was instrumental in building Dubai, was laid to rest yesterday at Christ Church in Jebel Ali.
CRYPTIC ACROSS: 1, March 6, Sa-uc-y 9, H-old-all 10, Salad 11, Oakum 12, R-asps 13, Tenniel 15, Les 17, Onus 18, Refuse 19, Cited 20, Credit 22, Sit-e 24, Has(-ten) 25, Pu-M-pkin 26, GI-V-ES 27, Skirl 28, Ming-y 29, Alas-Kan.
The music will be appropriate Scottish folk and the skirl of the bagpipes.
The main character is a thirteen-year-old boy called Kim who, after his mother's death, is brought to live in her ancestral home of Skirl. It is obvious from the very beginning that this is no ordinary family home.