[reed] n [ME rede, fr. OE hreod; akin to OHG hriot reed] (bef. 12c) 1 a: any of various tall grasses with slender often prominently jointed stems that grow esp. 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; specif: 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
6. 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 ~s of an orchestra" 7: a device on a loom resembling a comb and used to space warp yarns evenly 8: reeding 1a -- reed.like adj
[2]reed vt (1951): mill
2.