Meanings
- uncountableA substance used to lubricate the pegs of a string instrument and to provide friction between the pegs and the strings
The final step in fitting the peg, after work with the reamer and peg shaper, is to apply peg dope to the peg shank.
1997, Hideo Kamimoto, Complete Guitar Repair2 more examples
It also helps to rub down the shaft with a product called peg dope which is available from violin shops. It does the same thing that the right wax does for a pair of skis: provides smoothness when you need it (as you turn the peg) and friction when you need it (when you let go of the peg and it has to resist string pressure).
1997, Larry Sandberg, Complete Banjo Repair, page 21The compound is commonly sold in a small stick, like a tube of lipstick, and it used to be labeled "Peg Dope" before too many shipments got held up in customs (But many violinists still call it "peg dope" anyway).
2012, Katherine Rapaport, Violins For Dummies, 2nd Edition, page 34
Cite this entry
peg dope. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peg%20dope
“peg dope.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peg%20dope. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “peg dope,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peg%20dope.
Source: peg dope on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.