reed

¹

[ reed ]

noun

1. the straight stalk of any of various tall grasses, especially of the genera Phragmites and Arundo, growing in marshy places.
2. any of the plants themselves.
3. such stalks or plants collectively.
4. anything made from such a stalk or from something similar, as an arrow.
5. Music.
   1. a pastoral or rustic musical pipe made from a reed or from the hollow stalk of some other plant.
   2. a small, flexible piece of cane or metal that, attached to the mouth of any of various wind instruments, is set into vibration by a stream of air and, in turn, sets into vibration the air column enclosed in the tube of the instrument.
   3. reed instrument.
6. Textiles. the series of parallel strips of wires in a loom that force the weft up to the web and separate the threads of the warp.
7. an ancient unit of length, equal to 6 cubits. Ezekiel 40:5.

verb (used with object)

1. to decorate with reed.
2. to thatch with or as if with reed.
3. to make vertical grooves on (the edge of a coin, medal, etc.).

Reed

²

[ reed ]

noun

1. Sir Carol, 1906–76, British film director.
2. Ishmael (Scott), born 1938, U.S. novelist and poet.
3. John, 1887–1920, U.S. journalist and poet.
4. Stanley For·man [fawr, -m, uh, n], 1884–1980, U.S. jurist: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1938–57.
5. Thomas Brackett, 1839–1902, U.S. politician: Speaker of the House 1889–91, 1895–99.
6. Walter C., 1851–1902, U.S. army surgeon who proved that a type of mosquito transmits the yellow fever virus.
7. a male given name, form of Read.

reed

¹

/ riːd /

noun

1. any of various widely distributed tall grasses of the genus Phragmites , esp P. communis , that grow in swamps and shallow water and have jointed hollow stalks
2. the stalk, or stalks collectively, of any of these plants, esp as used for thatching
3. music
   1. a thin piece of cane or metal inserted into the tubes of certain wind instruments, which sets in vibration the air column inside the tube
   2. a wind instrument or organ pipe that sounds by means of a reed
4. one of the several vertical parallel wires on a loom that may be moved upwards to separate the warp threads
5. a small semicircular architectural moulding See also reeding
6. an ancient Hebrew unit of length equal to six cubits
7. an archaic word for arrow
8. broken reed
   a weak, unreliable, or ineffectual person

verb

1. to fashion into or supply with reeds or reeding
2. to thatch using reeds

Reed

²

/ riːd /

noun

1. ReedSir Carol19061976MEnglishFILMS AND TV: director Sir Carol . 1906–76, English film director. His films include The Third Man (1949), An Outcast of the Islands (1951), and Oliver! (1968), for which he won an Oscar
2. ReedLou1942MUSMUSIC: rock singerMUSIC: songwriterMUSIC: guitarist Lou . born 1942, US rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist: member of the Velvet Underground (1965–70). His albums include Transformer (1972), Berlin (1973), Street Hassle (1978), New York (1989), Set the Twilight Reeling (1996), and The Raven (2003)
3. ReedWalter18511902MUSMEDICINE: physician Walter . 1851–1902, US physician, who proved that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes (1900)

Reed

/ rēd /

1. American physician and army surgeon who proved in 1900 that yellow fever was transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito. His research led to the mosquito eradication programs carried out by William Gorgas that virtually eradicated yellow fever from Havana, Cuba, and from the Panama Canal Zone.

reed

1. A thin piece of wood or plastic used in many woodwind instruments. It vibrates when the player holds it in the mouth and blows over it (as with a single reed) or through it (as with a double reed). Clarinets and saxophones use a single reed; bassoons and oboes use a double reed.

Other Words From

• reed·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of reed¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English reed, red, reod; Old English hrēod, hrēad; cognate with German Ried, Dutch riet

Word History and Origins

Origin of reed¹

Old English hreod ; related to Old Saxon hriod , Old High German hriot

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. a broken reed, a person or thing too frail or weak to be relied on for support:

   Under stress he showed himself to be a broken reed.

More idioms and phrases containing reed

see broken reed .

Example Sentences

The huge drainage pools on the other side of her fence had become overgrown, with trees and shrubs growing through the reeds, she says.

From BBC

Nomcebo Zuma’s engagement to King Mswati III was made official earlier this week at the end of the eight-day reed dance ceremony - a traditional rite of passage for young women and girls held every year.

From BBC

When BBC News NI visited the site in January, the bottles were noticeable with a quick glance of the reed beds.

From BBC

To hold the cane webbing in place, add wood glue and a reed spline — a continuous strip of material that fills the gap.

From Seattle Times

Where native trees died, an explosion of invasive reeds has taken over.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• fountain pen
• marker
• stick