reed

I. noun Etymology: Middle English rede, from Old English hrēod; akin to Old High German hriot reed Date: before 12th century 1. a. any of various tall grasses with slender often prominently jointed stems that grow especially in wet areas b. a stem of a reed c. a person or thing too weak to rely on ; one easily swayed or overcome 2. a growth or mass of reeds; specifically reeds for thatching 3. arrow 4. a wind instrument made from the hollow joint of a plant 5. an ancient Hebrew unit of length equal to six cubits 6. a. a thin elastic tongue (as of cane, wood, metal, or plastic) fastened at one end over an air opening in a wind instrument (as a clarinet, organ pipe, or accordion) and set in vibration by an air current b. a woodwind instrument that produces sound by the vibrating of a reed against the mouthpiece <

the reeds of an orchestra

> 7. a device on a loom resembling a comb and used to space warp yarns evenly 8. reeding 1a • reedlike adjective II. transitive verb Date: 1951 mill 2