What is "reed"

Reed \Reed\ (r[=e]d), a. Red. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.

Reed \Reed\, v. & n. Same as Rede. [Obs.]
--Chaucer.

Reed \Reed\, n. The fourth stomach of a ruminant; rennet. [Prov. Eng. or Scot.]

Reed \Reed\, n. [AS. hre['o]d; akin to D. riet, G. riet, ried, OHG. kriot, riot.]

1. (Bot.) A name given to many tall and coarse grasses or grasslike plants, and their slender, often jointed, stems, such as the various kinds of bamboo, and especially the common reed of Europe and North America ( Phragmites communis).

2. A musical instrument made of the hollow joint of some plant; a rustic or pastoral pipe.

   Arcadian pipe, the pastoral reed Of Hermes.
   --Milton.

3. An arrow, as made of a reed.
   --Prior.

4. Straw prepared for thatching a roof. [Prov. Eng.]

5. (Mus.)

   1. A small piece of cane or wood attached to the mouthpiece of certain instruments, and set in vibration by the breath. In the clarinet it is a single fiat reed; in the oboe and bassoon it is double, forming a compressed tube.

   2. One of the thin pieces of metal, the vibration of which produce the tones of a melodeon, accordeon, harmonium, or seraphine; also attached to certain sets or registers of pipes in an organ.

6. (Weaving) A frame having parallel flat stripe of metal or reed, between which the warp threads pass, set in the swinging lathe or batten of a loom for beating up the weft; a sley. See Batten.

7. (Mining) A tube containing the train of powder for igniting the charge in blasting.

8. (Arch.) Same as Reeding. Egyptian reed (Bot.), the papyrus. Free reed (Mus.), a reed whose edges do not overlap the wind passage, -- used in the harmonium, concertina, etc. It is distinguished from the beating or striking reed of the organ and clarinet. Meadow reed grass (Bot.), the Glyceria aquatica, a tall grass found in wet places. Reed babbler. See Reedbird. Reed bunting (Zo["o]l.) A European sparrow ( Emberiza sch[oe]niclus) which frequents marshy places; -- called also reed sparrow, ring bunting. (b) Reedling. Reed canary grass (Bot.), a tall wild grass ( Phalaris arundinacea). Reed grass. (Bot.)

   1. The common reed. See Reed, 1.

   2. A plant of the genus Sparganium; bur reed. See under Bur. Reed organ (Mus.), an organ in which the wind acts on a set of free reeds, as the harmonium, melodeon, concertina, etc. Reed pipe (Mus.), a pipe of an organ furnished with a reed. Reed sparrow. (Zo["o]l.) See Reed bunting, above. Reed stop (Mus.), a set of pipes in an organ furnished with reeds. Reed warbler. (Zo["o]l.)

      1. A small European warbler ( Acrocephalus streperus); -- called also reed wren.

      2. Any one of several species of Indian and Australian warblers of the genera Acrocephalus, Calamoherpe, and Arundinax. They are excellent singers.

         Sea-sand reed (Bot.), a kind of coarse grass ( Ammophila arundinacea). See Beach grass, under Beach.

         Wood reed grass (Bot.), a tall, elegant grass ( Cinna arundinacea), common in moist woods.

"tall, broad-leafed grass growing in wet places," Old English hreod "reed, rush," from Proto-Germanic *kreut- "reed" (cognates: Old Saxon hraid, Old Frisian hriad, Middle Dutch ried, Dutch riet, Old High German hriot, German Ried), with no known cognates beyond Germanic.\n

\nMeaning "musical pipe made from a reed stem" is from late 14c. (reed-pipe is from c.1300). As part of the mouthpiece of a musical instrument it is attested from 1520s. Meaning "a reed instrument" is from 1838.

Etymology 1 n. 1 (context botany countable English) Any of various types of tall stiff perennial grass-like plants growing together in groups near water. 2 (context countable botany English) The hollow stem of these plants. 3 (context countable music English) Part of the mouthpiece of certain woodwind instruments, comprising of a thin piece of wood or metal which shakes very quickly to produce sound when a musician blows over it. 4 (context countable music English) A musical instrument such as the clarinet or oboe, which produces sound when a musician blows on the reed. 5 (context countable weaving English) A comb-like tool for beating the weft when weaving. 6 (context uncountable architecture English) reeding 7 (context mining English) A tube containing the train of powder for igniting the charge in blasting. 8 straw prepared for thatching a roof vb. To mill or mint with reeding. Etymology 2

vb. (en-past of: ree) Etymology 3

alt. (context UK Scotland dialect English) The fourth stomach of a ruminant; rennet. n. (context UK Scotland dialect English) The fourth stomach of a ruminant; rennet.

1. n. tall woody perennial grasses with hollow slender stems especially of the genera Arundo and Phragmites

2. United States journalist who reported on the October Revolution from Petrograd in 1917; founded the Communist Labor Party in America in 1919; is buried in the Kremlin in Moscow (1887-1920) [syn: John Reed]

3. United States physician who proved that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes (1851-1902) [syn: Walter Reed]

4. a vibrator consisting of a thin strip of stiff material that vibrates to produce a tone when air streams over it; "the clarinetist fitted a new reed onto his mouthpiece" [syn: vibrating reed]

5. a musical instrument that sounds by means of a reed [syn: beating-reed instrument]

A reed is a thin strip of material which vibrates to produce a sound on a musical instrument. The reeds of most woodwind instruments are made from Arundo donax ("Giant cane") or synthetic material; tuned reeds (as in harmonicas and accordions) are made of metal or synthetics.

Reed or Reeds may refer to:

Reed is an employment agency based in the United Kingdom. The company was founded in 1960 by Sir Alec Reed CBE, and is currently chaired by his son, James Reed. Reed also offers training and HR consultancy services. The company’s website, reed.co.uk, was established in 1995 and doubles as a job site. In 2014 Alexa ranked Reed.co.uk as the no.1 UK employment agency website.

Reed has more than 3,000 permanent employees working across 425 business units in 180 locations worldwide.

Reed is a common name for several tall, grass-like plants of wetlands. They are all members of the order Poales (in the modern, expanded circumscription), and include:

• Common reed ( Phragmites australis Cav.), the original species named reed
• Giant reed ( Arundo donax L.), used for making reeds for musical instruments
• Burma reed ( Neyraudia reynaudiana)
• Reed canary-grass ( Phalaris arundinacea)
• Reed sweet-grass ( Glyceria maxima)
• Small-reed ( Calamagrostis species)

• Paper reed or papyrus ( Cyperus papyrus), the source of the Ancient Egyptian writing material, also used for making boats

• Bur-reed ( Sparganium species)

• Reed-mace ( Typha species), also called bulrush or cattail

• Cape thatching reed ( Elegia tectorum), a restio originating from the South-western Cape, South Africa.
• Thatching reed ( Thamnochortus insignis), another restio species originating from the same geographic region.

Reed may be either a surname or given name.

A reed is part of a loom, and resembles a comb. It is used to push the weft yarn securely into place as it is woven, it also separates the warp threads and holds them in their positions, keeping them untangled, and guides the shuttle as it moves across the loom. It consists of a frame with lots of vertical slits. The reed is securely held by the beater. Floor looms and mechanized looms both use a beater with a reed, whereas Inkle weaving and tablet weaving do not use reeds.

Reed station, located on Potomac Avenue and Reed Avenue, is a bus rapid transit station in Alexandria, Virginia. It is a stop on the portion of the mixed-traffic segment of the Metroway bus rapid transit line, providing two-way service along the route. The station provides service to the central Potomac Yard and Potomac communities in Alexandria.