Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Reed

Reed

(rēd)
,
Adj.
Red.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.

Reed

,
Verb.
&
Noun.
Same as
Rede
.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.

Reed

,
Noun.
The fourth stomach of a ruminant; rennet.
[Prov. Eng. or Scot.]

Reed

,
Noun.
[AS.
hreód
; akin to D.
riet
, G.
riet
,
ried
, OHG.
kriot
,
riot
.]
1.
(Bot.)
A name given to many tall and coarse grasses or grasslike plants, and their slender, often jointed, stems, such as the various kinds of bamboo, and especially the common reed of Europe and North America (
Phragmites communis
).
2.
A musical instrument made of the hollow joint of some plant; a rustic or pastoral pipe.
Arcadian pipe, the pastoral
reed

Of Hermes.
Milton.
3.
An arrow, as made of a reed.
Prior.
4.
Straw prepared for thatching a roof.
[Prov. Eng.]
5.
(Mus.)
(a)
A small piece of cane or wood attached to the mouthpiece of certain instruments, and set in vibration by the breath. In the clarinet it is a single fiat reed; in the oboe and bassoon it is double, forming a compressed tube.
(b)
One of the thin pieces of metal, the vibration of which produce the tones of a melodeon, accordeon, harmonium, or seraphine; also attached to certain sets or registers of pipes in an organ.
6.
(Weaving)
A frame having parallel flat stripe of metal or reed, between which the warp threads pass, set in the swinging lathe or batten of a loom for beating up the weft; a sley. See
Batten
.
7.
(Mining)
A tube containing the train of powder for igniting the charge in blasting.
8.
(Arch.)
Same as
Reeding
.
Egyptian reed
(Bot.)
,
the papyrus.
Free reed
(Mus.)
,
a reed whose edges do not overlap the wind passage, – used in the harmonium, concertina, etc. It is distinguished from the beating or striking reed of the organ and clarinet.
Meadow reed grass
(Bot.)
,
the
Glyceria aquatica
, a tall grass found in wet places.
Reed babbler
.
See
Reedbird
.
Reed bunting
(Zool.)
A European sparrow (
Emberiza schœniclus
) which frequents marshy places; – called also
reed sparrow
,
ring bunting
.
(b)
Reedling.
Reed canary grass
(Bot.)
,
a tall wild grass (
Phalaris arundinacea
).
Reed grass
.
(Bot.)
(a)
The common reed
. See
Reed
, 1.
(b)
A plant of the genus
Sparganium
; bur reed. See under
Bur
.
Reed organ
(Mus.)
,
an organ in which the wind acts on a set of free reeds, as the harmonium, melodeon, concertina, etc.
Reed pipe
(Mus.)
,
a pipe of an organ furnished with a reed.
Reed sparrow
.
(Zool.)
See
Reed bunting
, above.
Reed stop
(Mus.)
,
a set of pipes in an organ furnished with reeds.
Reed warbler
.
(Zool.)
(a)
A small European warbler (
Acrocephalus streperus
); – called also
reed wren
.
(b)
Any one of several species of Indian and Australian warblers of the genera
Acrocephalus
,
Calamoherpe
, and
Arundinax
. They are excellent singers.
Sea-sand reed
(Bot.)
,
a kind of coarse grass (
Ammophila arundinacea
). See
Beach grass
, under
Beach
.
Wood reed grass
(Bot.)
,
a tall, elegant grass (
Cinna arundinacea
), common in moist woods.

Webster 1828 Edition


Reed

REED

, n.
1.
The common name of many aquatic plants; most of them large grasses, with hollow jointed stems, such as the common reed of the genus Arundo, the bamboo, &c. The bur-reed is of the genus Sparganium; the Indian Flowering reed of the genus Canna.
2.
A musical pipe; reeds being anciently used for instruments of music.
3.
A little tube through which a hautboy, bassoon or clarinet is blown.
4.
An arrow, as made of a reed headed.
5.
Thatch.

Definition 2024


Reed

Reed

See also: reed

English

Proper noun

Reed

  1. A surname, a spelling variant of Reid.
  2. A male given name transferred from the surname.
  3. A female given name

Anagrams

reed

reed

See also: Reed

English

Noun

reed (countable and uncountable, plural reeds)

  1. (countable) Any of various types of tall stiff perennial grass-like plants growing together in groups near water.
  2. (countable) The hollow stem of these plants.
  3. (countable, music) Part of the mouthpiece of certain woodwind instruments, comprising of a thin piece of wood or metal which shakes very quickly to produce sound when a musician blows over it.
  4. (countable, music) A musical instrument such as the clarinet or oboe, which produces sound when a musician blows on the reed.
  5. (countable, weaving) A comb-like tool for beating the weft when weaving.
  6. (uncountable, architecture) reeding
  7. (mining) A tube containing the train of powder for igniting the charge in blasting.
  8. Straw prepared for thatching a roof.
Derived terms
Translations

Verb

reed (third-person singular simple present reeds, present participle reeding, simple past and past participle reeded)

  1. To mill or mint with reeding.

Etymology 2

See ree

Verb

reed

  1. simple past tense and past participle of ree

Etymology 3

Alternative forms

Noun

reed (plural reeds)

  1. (Britain, Scotland, dialect) The fourth stomach of a ruminant; rennet.

References

  1. 1 2 The supposition about Gothic and the quote from Noctes Atticae in Deutsches Wörterbuch: "dixit ... amicus meus in libro se Gavi de origine vocabulorum VII legisse "retas" vocari arbores, quae aut ripis fluminum eminerent aut in alveis eorum exstarent"

Anagrams


Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -eːt
  • IPA(key): /reːt/
  • Homophones: reedt

Verb

reed

  1. singular past indicative of rijden
  2. first-person singular present indicative of reden
  3. imperative of reden

Anagrams


Middle English

Noun

reed

  1. (Chaucer) advice, counsel

Adjective

reed

  1. red
    • 14th Century, Chaucer, General Prologue
      Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.
      Bold was her face, and fair, and red of hue.

West Frisian

Noun

reed c (plural redens)

  1. skate
  2. driveway
  3. road