2. A musical instrument made of the hollow joint of some
plant; a rustic or pastoral pipe.
Arcadian pipe, the pastoral reed Of Hermes.
--Milton.
3. An arrow, as made of a reed. --Prior.
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.
{Egyptian reed} (Bot.), the papyrus.
{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.
{Reed babbler}. See {Reedbird}.
{Reed bunting} (Zo["o]l.) A European sparrow ({Emberiza
sch[oe]niclus}) which frequents marshy places; -- called
also {reed sparrow}, {ring bunting}.
(b) Reedling.
{Reed canary grass} (Bot.), a tall wild grass ({Phalaris
arundinacea}).
{Reed grass}. (Bot.)
(a) The common reed. See {Reed}, 1.
(b) A plant of the genus {Sparganium}; bur reed. See under
{Bur}.
{Reed organ} (Mus.), an organ in which the wind acts on a set
of free reeds, as the harmonium, melodeon, concertina,
etc.
{Reed pipe} (Mus.), a pipe of an organ furnished with a reed.
{Reed sparrow}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Reed bunting}, above.
{Reed stop} (Mus.), a set of pipes in an organ furnished with
reeds.
{Reed warbler}. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) A small European warbler ({Acrocephalus streperus});
-- called also {reed wren}.
(b) Any one of several species of Indian and Australian
warblers of the genera {Acrocephalus}, {Calamoherpe},
and {Arundinax}. They are excellent singers.
{Sea-sand reed} (Bot.), a kind of coarse grass ({Ammophila
arundinacea}). See {Beach grass}, under {Beach}.
{Wood reed grass} (Bot.), a tall, elegant grass ({Cinna
arundinacea}), common in moist woods.