Oxford Advanced American Dictionary

Definition of reed noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

reed

noun
reed pronunciation English riːd reed pronunciation American riːd
 
1 a tall plant like grass with a hollow stem that grows in or near waterreed beds (= where they grow)The edge of the lake was fringed with reeds. 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