a :a thin strip of wood, metal, or plastic inside some musical instruments (such as clarinets and oboes) that makes a sound when you blow over it(单簧管、双簧管等乐器中的)簧片
: 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 (such 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
Noun the reeds along the edge of a pond the reed section of the orchestra
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Elk callers use a diaphragm reed along with a bugle tube to replicate the noises.oregonlive, 15 Sep. 2022 All that remained of the reed houses where Urga’s residents used to live were a few combs of stems projecting from the sand. Henry Wismayer, Anchorage Daily News, 30 Aug. 2022 All that remained of the reed houses where Urga’s residents used to live were a few combs of stems projecting from the sand. Henry Wismayer, Washington Post, 29 Aug. 2022 Invasive species like tamarisk trees and phragmites, a reed that chokes out native water plants, have been rooted out.AZCentral.com, 8 Aug. 2022 Kocherhans also enjoyed interviews with pianist Ahmad Jamal and legendary reed player Bennie Maupin. Diane Bellcolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Aug. 2022 Robertson, 74, famously known as Uncle Si, is a retired reed maker for duck calls at Duck Commander. Shafiq Najib, PEOPLE.com, 24 July 2022 He was bested by a fiendish reed instrument called the saxophone. Bo Emerson, ajc, 20 July 2022 Dimitar took the reed out of his mouth and smiled at me. Sarah Souli, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2022
Verb
Drinking water is from the desalination plant, rainwater is collected, and wastewater is cleaned via a series of aerobic, non-aerobic, UV, pond, and reed bed systems. Johanna Read, Forbes, 20 June 2022 The keyboard has reed switches, which use magnets to actuate. Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 3 Dec. 2021 Thorne was 22 of 31 for 287 yards with a 51-yard touchdown pass to Montorie Foster and a 29-yard pass to Jayden reed for a score in the first quarter. Raul Dominguez, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Nov. 2021 Lisa starts berating Chris, who appears on the verge of passing out from the one-two punch of wearing a three-piece suit under hot lights and huffing that box-fresh vanilla reed diffuser straight from the source. Olivia Crandall, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2021 After tittering over the album cover — which features the musician in silhouette, reed clenched between his teeth — Fallon shared a selection from the record, wincing all the while. Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, 13 Sep. 2021 And partitions are being installed in the orchestra pit to try to contain any aerosols emitted by reed and brass instruments. Michael Paulson, New York Times, 2 Aug. 2021 Roused by the recurring ripple of notes, Mr. Sanders’ initially raspy reed smoothes into lengthy, crystalline phrases. Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 23 June 2021 Why Its intimate Chamilandu Bushcamp has just three thatch-and-reed houses on stilts in an ebony grove on the banks of the Luangwa River—authentic African wilderness magic. Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, 2 June 2021 See More
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English rede, from Old English hrēod; akin to Old High German hriot reed
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a