n. Any tall broad-leafed grass growing on the margins of streams or in other wet places; especially, any grass of one of the genera Phragmites, Arundo, or Ammophila.n. Some one of other more or less similar plants. See phrases below.n. A musical pipe of reed or cane, having a mouthpiece made by slitting the tube near a joint, and usually several finger-holes; a rustic or pastoral pipe; hence, figuratively, pastoral poetry. See cut under pipe.n. In music: In musical instruments of the oboe and clarinet classes, and in all kinds of organs, a thin elastic plate or tongue of reed, wood, or metal, so fitted to an opening into a pipe as nearly to close it, and so arranged that, when a current of air is directed through the opening, the reed is drawn into or driven against it so as to close it, but immediately springs back by its own elasticity, only to be pressed forward again by the air, thus producing a tone, either directly by its own vibrations or indirectly by the sympathetic vibrations of the column of air in the pipe.n. In reed-instruments of the oboe class, and in both pipe- and reed-organs, the entire mechanism immediately surrounding the reed proper, consisting of the tube or box the opening or eschallot of which the reed itself covers or fills, together with any other attachments, like the tuning-wire of reed-pipes. (See reed-organ and reed-pipe.) In the clarinet the analogous part is called the beak or mouthpiece.n. Any reed-instrument as a whole, tike an oboe or a clarinet: as, the reeds of an orchestra.n. In organ-building, same as reed-stop.n. A missile weapon; an arrow or a javelin: used poetically.n. Reeds or straw prepared for thatching; thatch: a general term: as, a bundle of reed.n. A long slender elastic rod of whalebone, ratan, or steel, of which several are inserted in a woman's skirt to expand or stiffen it.n. In mining, any hollow plant-stem which can be filled with powder and put into the cavity left. by the withdrawal of the needle, to set off the charge at the bottom. Such devices are nearly or entirely superseded by the safety-fuse. Also called spire.n. An instrument used for pressing down the threads of the woof in tapestry, so as to keep the surface well together.n. A weavers' instrument for separating the threads of the warp, and for beating the weft up to the web.n. In heraldry, a bearing representing a weavers' reed. See slay.n. A Hebrew and Assyrian unit, of length, equal to 6 cubits, generally taken as being from 124 to 130 inches.n. Same as rennet-bag.n. In arch., carp., etc., a small convex molding; in the plural, same as reeding, 2.To thatch. Compare reed, n., 6.In carp., arch., etc., to fashion into, or decorate with, reeds or reeding.An obsolete form of red (still extant in the surname Reed).n. An obsolete form of read.To draw (warp-threads) through the reed of a loom.To furnish with reeds, as an organ.
