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Origin and history of pipette

pipette(n.)

also pipet, "small tube used to withdraw and transfer fluids or gasses from one vessel to another," 1818, from French pipette, originally "tube," diminutive of Old French pipe, from Vulgar Latin *pipa (see pipe (n.1)). In Middle English, pipet is "small musical pipe" (late 15c.; early 14c. as a surname).

Entries linking to pipette

Old English pipe "simple tubular musical wind instrument," also "tube for conveying water," from Vulgar Latin *pipa "a pipe, tube-shaped musical instrument" (source also of Italian pipa, French pipe, Old Frisian pipe, German Pfeife, Danish pibe, Swedish pipa, Dutch pijp), a back-formation from Latin pipare "to chirp or peep," of imitative origin.

All the tubular senses ultimately derive from the meaning "small reed, whistle." From late 14c. as "a tube or duct of the body." From mid-15c. as "one of the tubes from which the tones of an organ are produced." Meaning "narrow tubular device for smoking" is recorded by 1590s. As "the sound of the voice," 1570s.

Pipe-bomb, "home-made bomb contained in a metal pipe," is attested from 1960. Pipe-cleaner, "piece of wire coated with tufted material," is recorded from 1863. Pipe-clay "white clay suitable for making smoking pipes" is attested by 1777.

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