Like a poetic piper (4)

I believe the answer is:

pied

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'like' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Maybe you can see an association between them that I can't see?

I don't understand the rest of the clue.

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(Other definitions for pied that I've seen before include "varying in colour" , "Foot over water [in]" , "black and white" , "featuring two colours" , "in various colours" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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