| reed [rēd] BOTANY Any tall grass characterized by a slender jointed stem. ENGINEERING A thin bar of metal, wood, or cane that is clamped at one end and set into transverse elastic vibration, usually by wind pressure; used to generate sound in musical instruments, and as a frequency standard, as in a vibrating-reed frequency meter. TEXTILES A comblike loom attachment that keeps the warp yarns apart and pushes the filling thread against the woven fabric. |