# Pied Piper

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /paɪd ˈpaɪ.pə/

## Definitions
1. A folk tale or legend, dating back to the Middle Ages, about a ratcatcher in variegated attire, hired by the German town of Hamelin, who is not paid for his services and retaliates by luring away the local children by playing a flute.
2. The flute-playing ratcatcher who is the protagonist and title character of this story.

## Etymology
Short for Pied Piper of Hamelin, from pied and piper.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pied-piper