English Explanatory Dictionary

reed

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of various types of tall stiff perennial grass-like plants growing together in groups near water.
  2. The hollow stem of these plants.
  3. Part of an aerophone musical instrument, comprising a thin piece of wood or metal, which vibrates to produce sound when air passes through it.
  4. Short for reed instrument.
  5. A comb-like part of a beater for beating the weft when weaving.
  6. A piece of whalebone or similar for stiffening the skirt or waist of a woman's dress.
  7. Reeding.
  8. A tube containing the train of powder for igniting the charge in blasting.
  9. Straw prepared for thatching a roof.
  10. A missile weapon.
  11. A measuring rod.
  12. A Babylonian unit of measure the length of a reed, equal to half a nindan, or six cubits.
verb
  1. To thatch.
  2. To mill or mint with reeding.
verb
  1. simple past and past participle of ree
noun
  1. The fourth stomach of a ruminant; rennet.
name
  1. A surname from Old English, a spelling variant of Reid.
  2. A unisex given name transferred from the surname.
  3. A village and civil parish in North Hertfordshire district, Hertfordshire, England (OS grid ref TL3636).
  4. A number of places in the United States.
  5. A town in Desha County, Arkansas.
  6. An unincorporated community in Henderson County, Kentucky.
  7. A township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
  8. An unincorporated community in Freeman, Crawford County, Wisconsin.

Pronunciation

rēd /ɹiːd/ en-us-reed.ogg

Word forms

reed reeds reeding reeded read

Etymology

From Middle English red, reed, from Old English hrēod, from Proto-West Germanic *hreud, of uncertain origin. Akin to Saterland Frisian Rait (“reed”), West Frisian reid (“reed”), Dutch riet (“reed”), German Ried (“reed”). No cognates in North Germanic languages, but the existence of an otherwise unattested Gothic *𐌷𐍂𐌹𐌿𐌳 (*hriud) was supposed by the brothers Grimm. They also theorised that the word may have a relation to the retas mentioned in Noctes Atticae (Aulus Gellius). The measuring reed sense is the translation of Akkadian qanûm ("cane") used in the Bible and elsewhere.

Derived words

bluejoint reed grass Blyth's reed warbler broken reed bur-reed common reed double reed double-reed free reed giant reed great reed warbler multireed paper reed Redbridge reed bed reedbird reedbuck reed bunting reed cat reeden reeder reedfish reedgrass reedhaunter reed instrument reed instrumentalist reedish reedist reed knife reedless reedlike reedling reedmace reed mace reed-mace reedmaker reedmaking reedman reed motion reed organ reed pen reed pheasant reed pipe reed plane reed plate reed relay reed-roofed reed stop reed switch reed thrush reed veneer reed warbler reedwork reed wren reedy sand reed sea reed single-reed single reed slender reed small reed

Translations

Bulgarian: тръстика Finnish: kaisla Finnish: ruoko French: roseau
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