reed

Etymology 1

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.

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, 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.

Etymology 2

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

verb

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

Etymology 3

See ree.

verb

1. simple past and past participle of ree

Etymology 4

From Middle English rede (“abomasum”), from Old English rēada, from Proto-West Germanic *raudō.

noun

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