reed

Meaning

Noun

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) 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. (abbreviation, alt-of, countable) Short for reed instrument.
5. (countable) A comb-like part of a beater for beating the weft when weaving.
6. (countable, historical) A piece of whalebone or similar for stiffening the skirt or waist of a woman's dress.
7. (uncountable) Reeding.
8. (countable, uncountable) A tube containing the train of powder for igniting the charge in blasting.
9. (countable, uncountable) Straw prepared for thatching a roof.
10. (countable, obsolete, poetic, uncountable) A missile weapon.
11. (archaic, countable, uncountable) A measuring rod.
12. (archaic, countable, uncountable) A measuring rod.

Verb

1. (transitive) To thatch.
2. To mill or mint with reeding.

Verb

simple past and past participle of ree

ree

• Noun
• Adj
• Verb
• Verb

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Synonyms

cane

rush

comb

pipe

vibrating reed

sedge

rushes

tule

reed instrument

bulrush

flute

🪈

stick

beating-reed instrument

grass

reeds

leaf spring

leg

🦵

oboe

papyrus

ratan

shaft

spear

spring

staff

stalk

straw

tongue

👅

reed pipe

rushy

common reed

malacca

stalk of grass

pan-pipe

reed-pipe

Arundinaria

Phragmites communis

marsh grass

reedfish

ropefish

phragmites communis

reedy grass

steel hoop

otter weed

abomasum

svirel

anchor

⚓

arrow

baton

batten

beater

Translations

roseau

Schilf

caña

riet

giunco

junco

canna

Schilfrohr

καλάμι

canya

cana

Ried

Rohr

calamus

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹiːd/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: red

Inherited from Old English: hrēod

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Rait

Cognate with Western Frisian: reid

Cognate with Dutch: riet

Cognate with German: Ried

Cognate with Gothic: *𐌷𐍂𐌹𐌿𐌳

Inherited from Middle English: reden

Inherited from Middle English: rede

Inherited from Old English: rēada

In summary

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.