/ riːd; NAmE / noun
1.
a tall plant like grass with a hollow stem that grows in or near water :
reed beds (= where they grow)
2.
a small thin piece of cane , metal or plastic in some musical instruments such as the oboe or the clarinet that moves very quickly when air is blown over it, producing a sound
—picture at clarinet
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English hrēod , of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch riet and German Ried .