Meaning & use
pipe cleaner
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A short, thin piece of wire covered with soft fuzzy material, used to clean the inside of smoking pipes or for craft work.
Grammar: Countable: one pipe cleaner, two pipe cleaners.
Patterns
- a pipe cleaner
- pipe cleaners
She used a pipe cleaner to scrub the inside of her grandfather's old pipe.
The children made little animals out of pipe cleaners and beads.
nouncountabletechnical
A tool or device used for cleaning pipes, especially in plumbing or industrial settings.
Grammar: Countable: a pipe cleaner, several pipe cleaners. Usually used for larger pipes, not smoking pipes.
Patterns
- a pipe cleaner
- pipe cleaners
The plumber bought a heavy-duty pipe cleaner to clear the blocked drain.
Industrial pipe cleaners are often motorized and can be dangerous.
Word forms
| plural | pipe cleaners |
|---|
Common combinations
- twist a pipe cleaner
- Twist the pipe cleaner around the pencil to make a spiral.
- bend a pipe cleaner
- Bend the pipe cleaner into a circle to form the head.
- use a pipe cleaner
- Use a pipe cleaner to reach the tight corners of the pipe.
- pipe cleaner craft
- Pipe cleaner crafts are popular with young children.
Synonyms and how they differ
- chenille stem
- Chenille stem is the craft term for the same fuzzy wire, but it is less common in everyday speech.
Commonly confused: pipe cleaner or pipe cleaner (person)?
pipe cleaner vs pipe cleaner (person)
A pipe cleaner as a person is not a common term; if you mean someone whose job is cleaning pipes, say 'pipe-cleaning worker' or 'plumber' instead.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pipe cleaner' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A pipe cleaner is a fuzzy wire used for crafts or cleaning pipes, so 'used a pipe cleaner to make a flower' fits. Option 0 is wrong because a pipe cleaner is not a person; option 2 is wrong because 'pipe cleaner' as a person is not standard; option 3 is wrong because a pipe cleaner is not something you smoke.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pipe cleaner”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.