Meanings
reed1
plural reeds · alternative obsolete reede
- countableAny of various types of tall stiff perennial grass-like plants growing together in groups near water.
- countableThe hollow stem of these plants.
- countableentertainmentPart of an aerophone musical instrument, comprising a thin piece of wood or metal, which vibrates to produce sound when air passes through it.
- abbreviationcountableentertainmentShort for reed instrument.
- countablebusinessA comb-like part of a beater for beating the weft when weaving.
Coordinate term: sley
- uncountablearchitectureReeding.
- archaiccountableuncountablemetrologyA measuring rod.
- archaiccountableuncountablemetrologyA Babylonian unit of measure the length of a reed, equal to half a nindan, or six cubits.
reed2
present singular third person reeds · participle present reeding · participle past reeded · past reeded
reed3
- participlepastsimple past and past participle of ree
reed4
plural reeds · alternative read
- ScotlandUKdialectalThe fourth stomach of a ruminant; rennet.
Reed5
plural Reeds
- uncountableusuallyA unisex given name transferred from the surname.
- uncountableusuallyA village and civil parish in North Hertfordshire district, Hertfordshire, England (OS grid ref TL3636).
- A number of places in the United States.
- uncountableusuallyA town in Desha County, Arkansas.
- uncountableusuallyAn unincorporated community in Henderson County, Kentucky.
- uncountableusuallyA township in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
- uncountableusuallyAn unincorporated community in Freeman, Crawford County, Wisconsin.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna vibrator consisting of a thin strip of stiff material that vibrates to produce a tone when air streams over it
nouna musical instrument that sounds by means of a vibrating reed
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
reed · noun
- Proto-West Germanic*hreud“reed”
- Old Englishhrēod
- Middle Englishred
- Englishreed
From Middle English red, from Old English hrēod, from Proto-West Germanic *hreud (“reed”), of uncertain origin. Cognates Cognate with North Frisian raid (“reed”), Saterland Frisian Räit (“reed”), West Frisian reid (“reed”), Dutch riet (“reed”), German Reet, Ried (“reed”). No cognates in North Germanic languages, but the existence of an otherwise unattested Gothic *𐌷𐍂𐌹𐌿𐌳 (*hriud) was supposed by the brothers Grimm. They also theorised that the word may have a relation to the retas mentioned in Noctes Atticae (Aulus Gellius). The measuring reed sense is the translation of Akkadian qanûm ("cane") used in the Bible and elsewhere.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →reed · verb
- Middle Englishreden
- Englishreed
From Middle English reden, from the noun (see above).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →reed · noun
- Proto-West Germanic*raudō
- Old Englishrēada
- Middle Englishrede“abomasum”
- Englishreed
From Middle English rede (“abomasum”), from Old English rēada, from Proto-West Germanic *raudō.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Reed · proper noun
- Old Englishra“roe deer”
- Proto-West Germanic*reudan
- Old Englishrēodan“to clear out”
- EnglishReed
* As an English and Scottish surname, from the adjective red. * Also as an English surname, from Old English rēodan (“to clear out”), from Proto-West Germanic *reudan. * Also as an English surname, from several places in England, such as Reed, Lancashire (from Old English ra (“roe deer”) or Rede, Suffolk (see Rede). Compare Rider, Reader.
More words from Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek κάλαμος, θρύον
- κάλαμος (kálamos)grass-like plant
- θρύον (thrúon)grass-like plant
Arabic قَصَبَة, بُوصَة
- قَصَبَة (qaṣaba)grass-like plant
- بُوصَة (būṣa)grass-like plant
Basque ihi
- ihigrass-like plant
Bulgarian тръстика, тръстика
- тръстика (trăstika)grass-like plant
- тръстика (trăstika)hollow stem
- платък (platăk)music: part of mouthpiece
- бърдо (bărdo)weaving
- тръстика (trăstika)material
Catalan canya, canya
- canyagrass-like plant
- canyamusic: part of mouthpiece
- llengüetamusic: part of mouthpiece
Chinese Mandarin 蘆葦 /芦苇, 簧片
- 蘆葦 /芦苇 (lúwěi)grass-like plant
- 簧片 (huángpiàn)music: part of mouthpiece
- 筘 (kòu)weaving
Czech rákosí, sítí
- rákosígrass-like plant
- sítígrass-like plant
- paprsekweaving
Danish siv, rør
- sivgrass-like plant
- rørgrass-like plant
Dutch riet, rietstengel
- rietgrass-like plant
- rietstengelhollow stem
- rietmusic: part of mouthpiece
Esperanto kano, anĉo
- kanograss-like plant
- anĉomusic: part of mouthpiece
Finnish kaisla, ruoko
- kaislagrass-like plant
- ruokograss-like plant
- ruokohollow stem
- ruokokielimusic: part of mouthpiece
- lehdykkämusic: part of mouthpiece
- lehdykkäsoitinmusic: type of wind instrument
- pirtaweaving
- kaideweaving
- kaislamaterial
- ruokomaterial
French roseau, canne
- roseaugrass-like plant
- cannehollow stem
- jonchollow stem
- anchemusic: part of mouthpiece
- instrument à anchemusic: type of wind instrument
- peigneweaving
- roseaumaterial
German Schilf, Ried
- Schilfgrass-like plant
- Riedgrass-like plant
- Rohrgrass-like plant
- Schilfrohrhollow stem
- Rohrblattmusic: part of mouthpiece
- Blattmusic: part of mouthpiece
- Blättchenmusic: part of mouthpiece
- Rohrblattinstrumentmusic: type of wind instrument
Greek καλάμι, καλαμιά
- καλάμι (kalámi)grass-like plant
- καλαμιά (kalamiá)grass-like plant
- καλάμι (kalámi)hollow stem
- γλωττίδα (glottída)music: part of mouthpiece
- καλάμι (kalámi)music: part of mouthpiece
Hebrew קָנֶה
- קָנֶה (qané)grass-like plant
Hungarian nád
- nádgrass-like plant
Icelandic sef, reyr
- sefgrass-like plant
- reyrgrass-like plant
- blaðmusic: part of mouthpiece
- hrællweaving
Indonesian alang, alang-alang
- alanggrass-like plant
- alang-alanggrass-like plant
Irish giolcach, biorrach
- giolcachgrass-like plant
- biorrachgrass-like plant
- feagmusic: part of mouthpiece
- geocánmusic: part of mouthpiece
Italian canna, canniccio
- cannagrass-like plant
- cannicciograss-like plant
- giuncograss-like plant
- cannahollow stem
- anciamusic: part of mouthpiece
- strumento ad anciamusic: type of wind instrument
- pettineweaving
Japanese 葦, 蘆
- 葦 (yoshi)grass-like plant
- 蘆 (ashi)grass-like plant
- リードmusic: part of mouthpiece
- 筬 (osa)weaving
Korean 갈대
- 갈대 (galdae)grass-like plant
Latin harundō, iuncus
- harundōgrass-like plant
- iuncusgrass-like plant
Latvian niedre
- niedregrass-like plant
Lithuanian nendrė
- nendrėgrass-like plant
Malay lidah serunai
- lidah serunaimusic: part of mouthpiece
Māori tohe, tohetohe
- tohemusic: part of mouthpiece
- tohetohemusic: part of mouthpiece
Norwegian siv, rør
- sivgrass-like plant
- rørgrass-like plant
- rørmusic: part of mouthpiece
Persian نی, غرو
- نی (ney)grass-like plant
- غرو (qarv)grass-like plant
- کلک (kelk)hollow stem
Polish trzcina, trzcina
- trzcinagrass-like plant
- trzcinahollow stem
- stroikmusic: part of mouthpiece
- instrument drewnianymusic: type of wind instrument
Portuguese junco, cana
- juncograss-like plant
- canagrass-like plant
- canahollow stem
- colmohollow stem
- palhetamusic: part of mouthpiece
- penteweaving
Romanian stuf, trestie
- stufgrass-like plant
- trestiegrass-like plant
Russian тростни́к, камы́ш
- тростни́к (trostník)grass-like plant
- камы́ш (kamýš)grass-like plant
- тростни́к (trostník)hollow stem
- язычо́к (jazyčók)music: part of mouthpiece
Slovak trstina, tŕstie
- trstinagrass-like plant
- tŕstiegrass-like plant
- trsťgrass-like plant
Spanish junco, carrizo
- juncograss-like plant
- carrizograss-like plant
- cañagrass-like plant
- juncohollow stem
- cañamusic: part of mouthpiece
Swedish säv, vass
- sävgrass-like plant
- vassgrass-like plant
- rörgrass-like plant
- rörmusic: part of mouthpiece
- vävskedweaving
Tagalog tambo
- tambograss-like plant
Thai กก
- กก (gòk)grass-like plant
Turkish saz, kamış
- sazgrass-like plant
- kamışmusic: part of mouthpiece
Ukrainian очере́т, трости́на
- очере́т (očerét)grass-like plant
- трости́на (trostýna)grass-like plant
- коми́ш (komýš)grass-like plant
Vietnamese sậy
- sậygrass-like plant
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with reed
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
reed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reed
“reed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reed. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reed,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reed.
Source: reed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.