• IPA: /ɹiːd/

From Middle English red, rede, from Old English rǣd, from Proto-West Germanic *rād, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaz.

Cognate with Danish råd, Dutch raad, German Rat, Swedish råd, Norwegian Bokmål råd. Indo-European cognates include Old Irish ráidid. Doublet of rada.

rede (uncountable) (archaic)

1. Help, advice, counsel.
   • c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act I, scene iii]:

     Ophelia:
     Do not, as some ungracious pastors do,
     Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
     Whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine,
     Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads,
     And recks not his own rede.

   • 1885, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume I, [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC ↗:

     When the Bull heard these words he knew the Ass to be his friend and thanked him, saying, "Right is thy rede"

   • 1954, JRR Tolkien, The Two Towers:

     ‘Yet do not cast all hope away. Tomorrow is unknown. Rede oft is found at the rising of the Sun.’

2. Decision, a plan.

From Middle English reden, ræden, from Old English rǣdan, from Proto-West Germanic *rādan, from Proto-Germanic *rēdaną.

Cognate with German raten, Low German raden, Dutch raden. More at read.

rede (redes, present participle reding; simple past and past participle red) (transitive, archaic or UK dialectal)

1. To govern, protect.
2. To discuss, deliberate.
3. To advise.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter [https://quod.lib.umich.edu/c/cme/MaloryWks2/1:6.5?rgn=div2;view=fulltext V], in Le Morte Darthur, book IV:

     The meane whyle his squyer founde wryten vpon the crosse that Bagdemagus shold neuer retorne vnto the Courte ageyne / tyll he had wonne a knyȝtes body of the round table body for body / lo syr said his squyer / here I fynde wrytyng of yow / therfor I rede yow retorne ageyne to the Courte / that shalle I neuer said Bagdemagus

     Meanwhile, his squire found written upon the cross that Bagdemagus should never again return to the court / till he had won a knight's body of the round table, body for body. / “Lo sir,” said his squire, / “here I find writing about you; / therefore I rede you return again to the court.” / “That I never shall,” said Bagdemagus.

4. To interpret (a riddle or dream); explain.
   • 1836, Thomas Carlyle, Sartor Resartus:

     The secret of Man's Being is still like the Sphinx's secret: a riddle that he cannot rede.

From Old English Rēade, from read.

1. A river in Northumberland, England, which joins the River North Tyne at Redesmouth.