[f. prec. sb.] a. intr. To play on a fife. b. trans. To play (a tune) upon or as upon the fife.
1837. Longf., Drift-Wood, Prose Wks. 1886, I. 322. Foremost rides the Spokesman, followed by some half-dozen villiage musicians, all blowing and drumming and fifing away like mad.
1887. Stevenson, Underwoods, 17.
| Winds that in darkness fifed a tune, | |
| And the high-riding virgin moon. |
Hence Fifing vbl. sb., the action of the vb.
c. 1817. Byron, To T. Moore, ii.
| Fifing and drumming, | |
| Guitarring and strumming, | |
| Oh Thomas Moore! |
1851. Ruskin, Stones Ven., I. xxi. § xx. The fluting and fifeing expire, the drumming remains, and that in a painful arrangement, as demanding something which is unheard.
