reed

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see also: Reed

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Pronunciation

• enPR: rēd, IPA: /ɹiːd/

Etymology 1

From Middle English red, reed, from Old English hrēod, from Proto-West Germanic *hreud, of uncertain origin.

Akin to Saterland Frisian Rait, Western 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). The measuring reed sense is the translation of Akkadian qanûm ("cane") used in the Bible and elsewhere.

Noun

reed

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 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 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, architecture) Reeding.
8. (mining) A tube containing the train of powder for igniting the charge in blasting.
9. Straw prepared for thatching a roof.
10. (poetic, obsolete) A missile weapon.
11. (archaic, metrology) A measuring rod.
    1. A Babylonian unit of measure the length of a reed, equal to half a nindan, or six cubits.

Translations

• French: roseau
• German: Schilf, Ried, Rohr
• Italian: canna, canniccio, giunco
• Portuguese: junco, cana
• Russian: тростни́к
• Spanish: junco, carrizo, caña

Translations

• French: canne, jonc
• German: Schilfrohr
• Italian: canna
• Portuguese: cana, colmo
• Russian: тростни́к
• Spanish: junco

Translations

• French: anche
• German: Rohrblatt, Blatt, Blättchen
• Italian: ancia
• Portuguese: palheta
• Russian: язычо́к
• Spanish: caña

Translations

• French: instrument à anche
• German: Rohrblattinstrument
• Italian: strumento ad ancia

Translations

• French: peigne
• Italian: pettine
• Portuguese: pente

Translations

• French: roseau

Etymology 2

From Middle English reden, from the noun (see above).

Verb

reed (reeds, present participle reeding; simple past and past participle reeded)

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

Etymology 3

See ree.

Verb

1. Simple past tense and past participle of ree

Etymology 4

From Middle English rede, from Old English rēada, from Proto-West Germanic *raudō.

Noun

reed (plural reeds)

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

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Reed

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Etymology

• As an English and Scottish surname, from the adjective red.
• Also as an English surname, from Old English rēodan, from Proto-West Germanic *reudan.
• Also as an English surname, from several places in England, such as Reed, Lancashire (from Old English ra or Rede, Suffolk (see Rede).

  Compare Rider, Reader.

Proper noun

1. Surname, a spelling variant of Reid.
2. A unisex given name.
3. A village/and/cpar in North Hertfordshire (OS grid ref TL3636).
4. A number of places in USA.
   1. A town in Desha County, Arkansas.
   2. An unincorporated community in Henderson County, Kentucky.
   3. A twp in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
   4. An unincorporated community in Freeman, Crawford County.

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