What is "hornpipe"

Hornpipe \Horn"pipe`\, n. (Mus.)

1. An instrument of music formerly popular in Wales, consisting of a wooden pipe, with holes at intervals. It was so called because the bell at the open end was sometimes made of horn.

2. A lively tune played on a hornpipe, for dancing; a tune adapted for such playing.

   Many a hornpipe he tuned to his Phyllis.
   --Sir W. Raleigh.

3. A dance performed, usually by one person, to such a tune, and popular among sailors.

c.1400, hornepype, "musical instrument with bell and mouthpiece made of horn," from horn (n.) + pipe (n.1). Later (late 15c.) "dance associated with sailors" (originally performed to music from such an instrument).

n. 1 (label en musici) A musical instrument consisting of a wooden pipe, with holes at intervals. 2 A solo dance commonly associated with seamen, involving kicking of the legs, with the arms mostly crossed. 3 A hard-shoe solo dance commonly performed in Irish stepdance, usually danced in 2/4 time. 4 Music played to the hornpipe dance vb. (context intransitive English) To dance the hornpipe.

1. n. a British solo dance performed by sailors

2. music for dancing the hornpipe

3. an ancient (now obsolete) single-reed woodwind; usually made of bone [syn: pibgorn, stockhorn]

The hornpipe is any of several dance forms played and danced in Britain and Ireland and elsewhere from the 17th century until the present day. The earliest references to hornpipes are from England and refer to Lancashire hornpipes in 1609 and 1613.

It is suggested that hornpipe as a dance began around the 16th century on English sailing vessels. However, this is urban myth, as the dance does not seem to have become associated with sailors until after 1740 when the dancer Yates performed 'a hornpipe in the character of a Jack Tar' at Drury Lane Theatre, after which, in 1741 at Covent Garden we hear of 'a hornpipe by a gentleman in the character of a sailor.'. Movements were those familiar to sailors of that time: "looking out to sea" with the right hand to the forehead, then the left, lurching as in heavy weather, and giving the occasional rhythmic tug to their breeches both fore and aft.

The hornpipe can refer to a specific instrument or a class of woodwind instruments consisting of a single reed, a small diameter melody pipe with finger holes and a bell traditionally made from animal horn. Additionally, a reed cap of animal horn may be placed around the reed to contain the breath and allow circular breathing for constant play, although in many cases the reed is placed directly in the mouth. It was also known as the pibcorn, pibgorn, or piccorn. One rare Scottish example, called the stock-and-horn, is referred to by Robert Burns among others. Other hornpipes include the Spanish gaita gastoreña, the Basque alboka and the Eastern European zhaleika. When joined with a bag, Baines refers to the instruments as "bag-hornpipes".