Reed n. The fourth stomach of a ruminant; rennet. (Prov. Eng. or Scot.)
Reed n.
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."
3.
An arrow, as made of a reed.
4.
Straw prepared for thatching a roof. (Prov. Eng.)
5.
(Mus.)
(a)
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.
(b)
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.
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.
... the golden bridle-bit of the Shah of Persia's horse, and the golden hammer, with which his hoofs are shod. Musical instruments should be like the silver tongs, with which the high-priests tended the Jewish altars—never to be touched by a hand profane. Who would bruise the poorest reed of Pan, though plucked from a beggar's hedge, would ... — Redburn. His First Voyage • Herman Melville Read full book for free!
... a reed silleta at the window and watched the quivering gleams from the lights of the ... — Cabbages and Kings • O. Henry Read full book for free!
... hall was the common living-room for both men and women, who slept on the reed-strewn floor, the ladies' sleeping-place being separated from the men's by the arras. The walls were hung with tapestry, woven by the skilled fingers of the ladies of the household. A peat or log fire burned in the centre of the hall, and the smoke ... — English Villages • P. H. Ditchfield Read full book for free!
... was Mr. Eltwood. She had a vague sense of disappointment, but received him cordially. He stood there, his hat off, holding her hand for a long moment, and gazing at her with evident admiration. They turned and sat down in the shadow of the reed-curtained corner. ... — The Forerunner, Volume 1 (1909-1910) • Charlotte Perkins Gilman Read full book for free!
... first wife was Sally Dillis Blaire and we were married in 1889. I got a divorce a few years later and I don't know whatever became of her. My second wife is still living. Her name was Kattie Belle Reed and I married her in 1907. No, I never ... — Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: The Ohio Narratives • Works Projects Administration Read full book for free!
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