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reed

Pronunciation: /ɹiːd/

The English word “reed” has 14 meanings listed here.

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. A comb-like part of a beater for beating the weft when weaving.
  5. A piece of whalebone or similar for stiffening the skirt or waist of a woman's dress.
  6. Reeding.
  7. A tube containing the train of powder for igniting the charge in blasting.
  8. Straw prepared for thatching a roof.
  9. A missile weapon.
  10. A measuring rod.
  11. A Babylonian unit of measure the length of a reed, equal to half a nindan, or six cubits.
  12. The fourth stomach of a ruminant; rennet.

verb

  1. To thatch.
  2. To mill or mint with reeding.

Etymology

From Middle English red, from Old English hrēod, from Proto-West Germanic *hreud (“reed”), of uncertain origin. Cognates Cognate with North Frisian raid (“reed”), Saterland Frisian Räit (“reed”), West Frisian reid (“reed”), Dutch riet (“reed”), German Reet, Ried (“reed”). No cognates in North Germanic languages, but the existence of an otherwise unattested Gothic *𐌷𐍂𐌹𐌿𐌳 (*hriud) was supposed by…

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.