What is "reel"

Reel \Reel\ (r[=e]l), n. The act or motion of reeling or staggering; as, a drunken reel.
--Shak.

Reel \Reel\ (r[=e]l), n. [AS. hre['o]l: cf. Icel. hr[ae]ll a weaver's reed or sley.]

1. A frame with radial arms, or a kind of spool, turning on an axis, on which yarn, threads, lines, or the like, are wound; as, a log reel, used by seamen; an angler's reel; a garden reel.

2. A machine on which yarn is wound and measured into lays and hanks, -- for cotton or linen it is fifty-four inches in circuit; for worsted, thirty inches.
   --McElrath.

3. (Agric.) A device consisting of radial arms with horizontal stats, connected with a harvesting machine, for holding the stalks of grain in position to be cut by the knives.

   Reel oven, a baker's oven in which bread pans hang suspended from the arms of a kind of reel revolving on a horizontal axis.
   --Knight.

Reel \Reel\ (r[=e]l), n. [Gael. righil.] A lively dance of the Highlanders of Scotland; also, the music to the dance; -- often called Scotch reel.

Virginia reel, the common name throughout the United States for the old English ``country dance,'' or contradance (contredanse).
--Bartlett.

Reel \Reel\ (r[=e]l), v. i. [Cf. Sw. ragla. See 2d Reel.]

1. To incline, in walking, from one side to the other; to stagger.

   They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man.
   --Ps. cvii. 27.

   He, with heavy fumes oppressed, Reeled from the palace, and retired to rest.
   --Pope.

   The wagons reeling under the yellow sheaves.
   --Macaulay.

2. To have a whirling sensation; to be giddy.

   In these lengthened vigils his brain often reeled.
   --Hawthorne.

Reel \Reel\ (r[=e]l), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Reeled (r?ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Reeling. ]

1. To roll. [Obs.]

   And Sisyphus an huge round stone did reel.
   --Spenser.

2. To wind upon a reel, as yarn or thread.

"frame turning on an axis," especially one on which thread is wound, late Old English hreol "reel for winding thread," from Proto-Germanic *hrehulaz; probably related to hrægel "garment," and Old Norse hræll "spindle," from PIE *krek- "to weave, beat" (cognates: Greek krokus "nap of cloth").\n

\nSpecifically of the fishing rod attachment from 1726; of a film projector apparatus from 1896. Reel-to-reel type of tape deck is attested from 1958.

"lively Highland dance," 1580s, probably a special use of reel (n.1), which had a secondary sense of "a whirl, whirling movement" (1570s) or from reel (v.1). Applied to the music for such a dance from 1590s.

"to whirl around," late 14c., also "sway, swing, rock, become unsteady" (late 14c.), "stagger as a result of a blow, etc." (c.1400), probably from reel (n.1), on notion of "spinning." Of the mind, from 1796. Related: Reeled; reeling.

"to wind on a reel," late 14c., from reel (n.1). Verbal phrase reel off "recite without pause or effort" is from 1837. Fishing sense is from 1849. Related: Reeled; reeling.

n. 1 A lively dance of the Highlanders of Scotland; also, the music to the dance; -- often called Scotch reel. 2 A frame with radial arms, or a kind of spool, turning on an axis, on which yarn, threads, lines, or the like, are wound 3 A machine on which yarn is wound and measured into lays and hanks, -- for cotton or linen it is fifty-four inches in circuit; for worsted, thirty inches. 4 A device consisting of radial arms with horizontal stats, connected with a harvesting machine, for holding the stalks of grain in position to be cut by the knives. 5 A short compilation of sample film work used as a demonstrative resume in the entertainment industry. vb. 1 To wind on a reel. 2 To spin or revolve repeatedly. 3 To unwind, to bring or acquire something by spinning or winding something else. 4 To walk shakily or unsteadily; to stagger; move as if drunk or not in control of oneself.

1. n. a roll of photographic film holding a series of frames to be projected by a movie projector

2. music composed for dancing a reel

3. winder consisting of a revolving spool with a handle; attached to a fishing rod

4. a winder around which thread or tape or film or other flexible materials can be wound [syn: bobbin, spool]

5. a lively dance of Scottish highlanders; marked by circular moves and gliding steps [syn: Scottish reel]

6. an American country dance which starts with the couples facing each other in two lines [syn: Virginia reel]

1. v. walk as if unable to control one's movements; "The drunken man staggered into the room" [syn: stagger, keel, lurch, swag, careen]

2. revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis; "The dervishes whirl around and around without getting dizzy" [syn: spin, spin around, whirl, gyrate]

3. wind onto or off a reel

The reel is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type. In Scottish country dancing, the reel is one of the four traditional dances, the others being the jig, the strathspey and the waltz, and is also the name of a dance figure (see below).

In Irish dance, a reel is any dance danced to music in reel time (see below). In Irish stepdance, the reel is danced in soft shoes and is one of the first dances taught to students. There is also a treble reel, danced in hard shoes to reel music.

A reel is an object around which lengths of another material (usually long and flexible) are wound for storage. Generally a reel has a cylindrical core and walls on the sides to retain the material wound around the core. In some cases the core is hollow, although other items may be mounted on it, and grips may exist for mechanically turning the reel.

Reel was a thoroughbred race horse, and one of the greatest American Thoroughbred broodmares in history.

A reel is an object around which lengths of another material are wound for storage.

Reel may also refer to:

• Reel (dance), a type of dance and its accompanying music
• Reel (horse), a thoroughbred racehorse and prolific broodmare
• Reel (album), an album by the German artist P·A·L
• Reel (people), an ethnic group of Sudan
• Reel language, or Atwot, a Nilotic language of South Sudan that is closely related to Nuer
• The Reels, an Australian rock pop group
• Reel Cinemas, a cinema chain in the United Arab Emirates
• Reel Cinemas (UK), a cinema chain in the United Kingdom
• Reel Corporation, an Australian film distributor
• Reel Theatres, a cinema chain in the USA
• Fishing reel, a device used on a fishing rod to wind the fishing line up
• Leica reel, a type of storyboarding device in animation
• Showreel (actors), a piece of video or film footage that displays an actor's work
• Reel, one of the rotating bands that form the main feature of a slot machine
• Reel, a complex bird vocalization consisting of several short elements which are repeated regularly. It is a territorial song when used by fairy-wrens of the family Maluridae