pipe the eye en · VERB
Etymology
A metaphor alluding to the boatswain's pipe, which calls to duty.
Meanings
-
(archaic, idiomatic) To weep.
He first began to eye his pipe, / And then to pipe his eye.
a. 1845, Thomas Hood, Faithless Sally Brown:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| piping the eye | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| pipes the eye | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| pipe one's eye | alternative | lexicographic | |
| piped the eye | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| piped the eye | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Translations (1)
fi pillittää (to weep (expressions related to a pipe or pipes only) — see also weep)