Share this Article on Facebook Twitter Submit this article to Reddit Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

pipe

pipe

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2008 | Copyright

pipe hollow structure, usually cylindrical, for conducting materials. It is used primarily to convey liquids, gases, or solids suspended in a liquid, e.g., a slurry. It is also used as a conduit for electric wires.

The earliest pipes were probably made of bamboo, used by the Chinese to carry water c.5000 BC The Egyptians made the first metal pipe of copper c.3000 BC Until cast iron became relatively cheap in the 18th cent. most pipes were made of bored stone or wood, clay, lead, and, occasionally, copper or bronze. Modern materials include cast iron, wrought iron, steel, copper, brass, lead, concrete, wood, glass, and plastic. Welded steel pipe is made by bending strips of steel into the form of a tube and welding the longitudinal seam either by electric resistance, by fusion welding, or by heating the tube and pressing the edges together. Seamless pipe is made from a solid length of metal pierced lengthwise by a mandrel with a rounded nose.

Steel pipe, introduced in the early 20th cent., is widely used for conducting substances at extremely high pressures and temperatures. Cast-iron pipes, which came into common use in the 1840s, resist corrosion better than steel pipes and are therefore frequently used underground. Clay and concrete pipes usually carry sewage, and concrete pipes are also used to carry irrigation water at low pressures; for moderate pressures, the concrete is reinforced with steel or mixed with asbestos. Seamless copper and brass pipes are used for plumbing and boilers. Because of its softness and resistance to corrosion, lead is used for flexible connections and for plumbing that does not carry drinking water. The chemical and food industries use glass pipes. During World War II manufacturers developed plastic pipe to replace metals that were in short supply. Today PVC pipe is widely used to carry waste water as well as certain corrosive liquids.

A pipeline carries water, gas, petroleum, and many other fluids long distances. In laying an oil pipeline, 40-ft (12-m) sections of seamless steel pipe are electrically welded together while held over a trench. Before being lowered into place the pipe is coated with a protective paint and wrapped with a substance composed of treated asbestos felt and fiberglass. Pumping stations located 50 to 75 mi (80-120 km) apart boost the dwindling pressure back up to as much as 1,500 lb per sq. in. The piping must be kept clean, either by applying a negative electrical charge to the pipe or by regular use of a "pig," or scrubbing ball, inserted at one end and carried along by the current. An oil pipeline 6 in (15 cm) to 24 in (60 cm) in diameter will move its contents at about 3 to 6 mi (5-10 km) per hr.

Water has been moved since ancient times in pipelines called aqueducts . The first natural-gas and petroleum pipelines in the United States were built during the 19th cent. Today in many parts of the world pipelines are an extremely important means of transporting diverse fluids. The Trans-Arabian Pipeline, which carries oil from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean, is over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) long. There are more than 180,000 mi (288,000 km) of pipeline in the United States alone.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"pipe." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"pipe." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-pipe.html

"pipe." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-pipe.html

Learn more about citation styles

pipe

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

pipe / pīp/ • n. 1. a tube of metal, plastic, or other material used to convey water, gas, oil, or other fluid substances. ∎  a cylindrical vein of ore or rock, esp. one in which diamonds are found. ∎  a cavity in cast metal. ∎  inf. a duct, vessel, or tubular structure in the body, or in an animal or plant. 2. a narrow tube made from wood, clay, etc., with a bowl at one end for containing burning tobacco, the smoke from which is drawn into the mouth. ∎  a quantity of tobacco held by this. 3. a wind instrument consisting of a single tube with holes along its length that are covered by the fingers to produce different notes: a reed pipe. ∎  (usu. pipes) bagpipes. ∎  (pipes) a set of pipes joined together, as in panpipes. ∎  a tube by which sound is produced in an organ. ∎  [in sing.] a high-pitched cry or song, esp. of a bird. ∎  a boatswain's whistle. 4. Comput. a command that causes the output from one routine to be the input for another. 5. Comput. a connection to the Internet or to a Web site: although many businesses have high-powered pipes, the vast majority of home users still have to dial up.6. a cask for wine, esp. as a measure equal to two hogsheads, usually equivalent to 105 gallons (about 477 liters). • v. 1. [tr.] convey (water, gas, oil, or other fluid substances) through a pipe or pipes: water from the lakes is piped to several towns. ∎  transmit (music, a radio or television program, signals, etc.) by wire or cable. 2. [tr.] play (a tune) on a pipe or pipes. ∎  [intr.] (of a bird) sing in a high or shrill voice. ∎  [with direct speech] say something in a high, shrill voice: “No, ma’am,” piped Lucy. ∎  [tr.] use a boatswain's whistle to summon (the crew) to work or a meal: the hands were piped to breakfast. 3. [tr.] decorate (clothing or soft furnishings) with a thin cord covered in fabric. ∎  put (a decorative line or pattern) on a cake or similar dish using icing, whipped cream, etc. PHRASES: put that in one's pipe and smoke it inf. used to indicate that someone should accept what one has said, even if it is unwelcome.PHRASAL VERBS: pipe down [often in imper.] inf. stop talking; be less noisy. pipe up say something suddenly.DERIVATIVES: pipe·ful / ˈpīpˌfoŏl/ n. (pl. -fuls) pipe·less adj. pip·y / ˈpīpē/ adj. (pip·i·er, pip·i·est)

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"pipe." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"pipe." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-pipe.html

"pipe." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-pipe.html

Learn more about citation styles

pipe

A Dictionary of Computing | 2004 | | Copyright

pipe A command-line operator available in some operating systems whereby a number of processes (tasks), whose names are listed sequentially, are activated concurrently so that each process (after the first-named) accepts as its input the output from the immediately previously named process. The operating system provides buffering of data between the processes, and so the user is relieved of the necessity of specifying temporary files for receiving and delivering the data. Pipes are a notable feature of UNIX. See also command-line interface, filter.
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

JOHN DAINTITH. "pipe." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN DAINTITH. "pipe." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O11-pipe.html

JOHN DAINTITH. "pipe." A Dictionary of Computing. 2004. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O11-pipe.html

Learn more about citation styles

pipe

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

pipe1 musical wind instrument: hollow cylinder or tube OE.; tubular passage or canal XIV; narrow tube used for smoking tobacco XVI. OE. pīpe = OFris., MLG., MDu. pīpe (Du. pijp), OHG. pfifa (G. pfeife), ON. píipa :- Gmc. *pīpa — Rom. *pīpa, f. L. pīpāre peep, chirp, of imit. orig.; reinforced in ME. by (O)F. pipe.
So pipe vb.1 OE. pīpian play on a pipe. Hence piper (-ER1). OE. pīpere. Also vb.2 draw through a pipe XVI.
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

T. F. HOAD. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pipe.html

T. F. HOAD. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pipe.html

Learn more about citation styles

pipe

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable | 2006 | | Copyright

pipe pipe of peace a North American Indian peace pipe; a calumet; the term is first recorded in the late 17th century.
Pipe Roll the annual accounts kept by the Exchequer from the 12th to the 19th century; apart from an isolated roll in 1130, the series begins in 1156 and continues with a few interruptions until 1832. The name probably derives from the subsidiary documents having been rolled in pipe form.

See also pan pipes at Pan.
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "pipe." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "pipe." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-pipe.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "pipe." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-pipe.html

Learn more about citation styles

pipe

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences | 1999 | | Copyright

pipe
1. Nearly vertical, cylindrical body or opening in rock.

2.. In mining, an ore shoot at the intersection of two barren veins.

3.. At Kimberley, South Africa, pipes of diamond-bearing breccia.

4.. In sedimentology, tube often filled with mud, particularly in limestones.

5.. In volcanology, vertical channel-ways below a volcano through which magma flows towards the surface.
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "pipe." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "pipe." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-pipe.html

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "pipe." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-pipe.html

Learn more about citation styles

pipe

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music | 1996 | | Copyright

pipe.
1. Hollow cone or cylinder in which air vibrates to produce a sound, e.g. in an org. or a blown wind instr.

2. A simple woodwind instr. without any mechanism such as bamboo pipes, or the 3-holed pipe used in Eng. folk dances together with the tabor.

3. The bagpipe.
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-pipe.html

MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-pipe.html

Learn more about citation styles

pipe

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

pipe3 account of a sheriff, etc. as sent in and enrolled at the Exchequer; department of the Exchequer concerned with these. XV. — AN. pipe, AL. pipa; perh. spec. use of PIPE1, from the cylindrical shape of a roll (cf. pipe-roll XVII) or of a container.
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

T. F. HOAD. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pipe2.html

T. F. HOAD. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pipe2.html

Learn more about citation styles

pipe

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition | 2005 | | Copyright

pipe Cask for wine; the volume varies with the type of wine, e.g. port, 115 gallons (517 L); Tenerife, 100 gal (450 L); Marsala, 90 gal (418 L).
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

DAVID A. BENDER. "pipe." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAVID A. BENDER. "pipe." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-pipe.html

DAVID A. BENDER. "pipe." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-pipe.html

Learn more about citation styles

pipe

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

pipe2 large cask for wine, esp. as a measure of capacity. XIV. — AN. pipe, AL. pipa; spec. use of PIPE1 in the tense ‘tubular or cylindrical vessel’.
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

T. F. HOAD. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pipe1.html

T. F. HOAD. "pipe." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-pipe1.html

Learn more about citation styles

pipe

The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military | 2001 | Copyright

pipe n. a boatswain's whistle.
v. use a boatswain's whistle to summon (the crew) to work or a meal: the hands were piped to breakfast.
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"pipe." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"pipe." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-pipe.html

"pipe." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-pipe.html

Learn more about citation styles

Pipe

A Dictionary of British Place-Names | 2003 | | Copyright

Pipe Herefs. Pipe 1086 (DB). OE pīpe ‘a pipe, a conduit’, originally referring to the stream here.
Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

A. D. MILLS. "Pipe." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

A. D. MILLS. "Pipe." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Pipe.html

A. D. MILLS. "Pipe." A Dictionary of British Place-Names. 2003. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O40-Pipe.html

Learn more about citation styles

pipe

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

pipe •gripe, hype, mistype, pipe, ripe, sipe, slype, snipe, stripe, swipe, tripe, type, wipe •guttersnipe • bagpipe • standpipe •tailpipe • drainpipe • pitchpipe •windpipe • hornpipe • blowpipe •stovepipe • hosepipe • soilpipe •pinstripe • archetype • logotype •phenotype • linotype • Monotype •electrotype • daguerreotype •subtype • stereotype • collotype •genotype, stenotype •prototype • sideswipe

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"pipe." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"pipe." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-pipe.html

"pipe." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-pipe.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Pipe bursting various types of pipes.(PIPE BURSTING)
Magazine article from: Underground Construction; 6/1/2011
Pipe selection chart.
Magazine article from: Underground Construction; 6/1/2007
Pipes and Fittings Market in India: Business Report 2009.
News Wire article from: M2 Presswire; 2/1/2010

Facts and information from other sites

pipe images
pipe. (Image by Paul Goyette, CC)

Related topics