Meaning & use
piped
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“piped” is a form of “pipe”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of 'pipe': to carry liquid, gas, or sound through a tube.
Grammar: This is the -ed form; the base form 'pipe' is used for the present, as in 'They pipe water to the village.'
Patterns
- pipe something somewhere
- pipe something from somewhere to somewhere
Fresh water is piped into every house on the street.
The music was piped through speakers in the ceiling.
Gas is piped across the country in huge steel lines.
adjectivebefore a noun
Decorated with a thin line of colored material along an edge, especially on clothes or cakes.
Grammar: Used before a noun: piped edges, piped icing. It describes the decoration, not the action of piping.
Patterns
- piped edges
- piped icing
- piped cushions
She wore a navy jacket with piped edges.
The cake had piped icing in pink and white.
He chose a piped cushion to match the sofa.
adjectivebefore a nounliterary
Of a voice or sound: high, thin, and musical, like a small flute.
Grammar: Mostly literary; it describes a quality of sound rather than a physical pipe.
Patterns
- a piped voice
- piped notes
A piped voice sang from the back of the hall.
We heard the piped notes of a distant flute.
Word forms
| base form | pipe |
|---|---|
| third person singular | pipes |
| present participle | piping |
| past tense | piped |
| past participle | piped |
Common combinations
- piped water
- Most homes in the city now have piped water.
- piped music
- Piped music played softly in the waiting room.
- piped edges
- The uniform has piped edges in gold.
- piped gas
- Piped gas is cheaper than bottled gas here.
- piped icing
- The baker added piped icing around the cake.
Synonyms and how they differ
- channeled
- Used for directing liquid or resources; it does not usually suggest a physical tube, so 'piped water' is more concrete than 'channeled water.'
- piped-in
- An informal compound used mainly for music or sound coming through speakers; it cannot replace 'piped' for water or gas.
Word family
Commonly confused: piped or piped? piped or piped?
piped vs piped
Do not confuse with 'piped' meaning 'played on a pipe' and 'piped' meaning 'decorated with a line'; the context (music, clothes, water) shows which one is meant.
piped vs piped
Learners sometimes write 'pipe' for the past: say 'They piped the water,' not 'They pipe the water yesterday.'
Practice
Which sentence uses 'piped' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Piped water' is the fixed pattern for water supplied through pipes. 'Pipe water' and 'pipes water' are not used before a noun, and 'piping water' suggests hot water or a continuous stream, not a supply system.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “piped”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.