reed

Meanings

Noun

• Any of various types of tall stiff perennial grass-like plants growing together in groups near water.
• The hollow stem of these plants.
• Part of the mouthpiece of certain woodwind instruments, comprising a thin piece of wood or metal which shakes very quickly to produce sound when a musician blows over it.
• A musical instrument such as the clarinet or oboe, which produces sound when a musician blows on the reed.
• A comb-like part of a beater for beating the weft when weaving.
• A piece of whalebone or similar for stiffening the skirt or waist of a woman's dress.
• Reeding.
• A tube containing the train of powder for igniting the charge in blasting.
• Straw prepared for thatching a roof.
• A missile weapon.
• A measuring rod.
• The fourth stomach of a ruminant; rennet.

Verb

• To thatch.
• To mill or mint with reeding.
• Past of ree

Origin

• From Middle English red, reed, from Old English hrēod, from Proto-West Germanic *hreud, of uncertain origin.
• Akin to Saterland Frisian Rait, West Frisian reid, Dutch riet, German Ried. No cognates in North Germanic languages, but the existence of an otherwise unattested Gothic *𐌷𐍂𐌹𐌿𐌳 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).
• From Middle English reden, from the noun (see above).
• See ree.
• From Middle English rede, from Old English rēada, from Proto-West Germanic *raudō.