Pipe-opener
noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A device for putting a hole in a pipe.
- 2 A device or mechanism for clearing obstructions in a pipe.
- 3 A practice event; a warm-up.
"They will note the doings of the favourite for some particular race, scanning him keenly and critically ; they will see how he takes his pipe-opener, or if he breaks down, or if he turns lame, or is absent from exercise."
- 4 A brisk walk or other aerobic exercise; a constitutional. figuratively
- 5 An example that serves as an introduction. figuratively
"That tale may have served as a pipe-opener, but one could not see its wood for its trees, so I threw it away."
Example
More examples"They will note the doings of the favourite for some particular race, scanning him keenly and critically ; they will see how he takes his pipe-opener, or if he breaks down, or if he turns lame, or is absent from exercise."
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.