Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Reed \Reed\, n. [AS. hre['o]d; akin to D. riet, G. riet, ried,
   OHG. kriot, riot.]
   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.
                                                  --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.

   8. (Arch.) Same as {Reeding}.

   {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.

Nimble Will, a kind of drop seed. {Muhlenbergia diffsa}. Orchard
grass, pasture and hay. {Dactylis glomerata}. Porcupine grass,
troublesome to sheep. Northwest. {Stipa spartea}. Quaking grass,
ornamental. {Briza media} and {maxima}. Quitch, or Quick, grass,
etc., a weed. {Agropyrum repens}. Ray grass. Same as {Rye grass}
(below). Redtop, pasture and hay. {Agrostis vulgaris}.
Red-topped buffalo grass, forage. Northwest. {Poa tenuifolia}.
Reed canary grass, of slight value. {Phalaris arundinacea}. Reed
meadow grass, hay. North. {Glyceria aquatica}. Ribbon grass, a
striped leaved form of {Reed canary grass}. Rye grass, pasture,
hay. {Lolium perenne}, var. Seneca grass, fragrant basket work,
etc. North. {Hierochloa borealis}. Sesame grass. Same as {Gama
grass} (above). Sheep's fescue, sheep pasture, native in
Northern Europe and Asia. {Festuca ovina}. Small reed grass,
meadow pasture and hay. North. {Deyeuxia Canadensis}. Spear
grass, Same as {Meadow grass} (above). Squirrel-tail grass,
troublesome to animals. Seacoast and Northwest. {Hordeum
jubatum}. Switch grass, hay, cut young. {Panicum virgatum}.
Timothy, cut young, the best of hay. North. {Phleum pratense}.
Velvet grass, hay on poor soil. South. {Holcus lanatus}. Vernal
grass, pasture, hay, lawn. {Anthoxanthum odoratum}. Wire grass,
valuable in pastures. {Poa compressa}. Wood grass, Indian grass,
hay. {Chrysopogon nutans}.

   Note: Many plants are popularly called grasses which are not
         true grasses botanically considered, such as black
         grass, goose grass, star grass, etc.

   {Black grass}, a kind of small rush ({Juncus Gerardi}),
      growing in salt marshes, used for making salt hay.

   {Grass of the Andes}, an oat grass, the {Arrhenatherum
      avenaceum} of Europe.

   {Grass of Parnassus}, a plant of the genus {Parnassia}
      growing in wet ground. The European species is {P.
      palustris}; in the United States there are several
      species.

   {Grass bass} (Zo["o]l.), the calico bass.

   {Grass bird}, the dunlin.

   {Grass cloth}, a cloth woven from the tough fibers of the
      grass-cloth plant.

   {Grass-cloth plant}, a perennial herb of the Nettle family
      ({B[oe]hmeria nivea or Urtica nivea}), which grows in
      Sumatra, China, and Assam, whose inner bark has fine and
      strong fibers suited for textile purposes.

   {Grass finch}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) A common American sparrow ({Po["o]c[ae]tes
          gramineus}); -- called also {vesper sparrow} and
          {bay-winged bunting}.
      (b) Any Australian finch, of the genus {Po["e]phila}, of
          which several species are known.

   {Grass lamb}, a lamb suckled by a dam running on pasture land
      and giving rich milk.

   {Grass land}, land kept in grass and not tilled.

   {Grass moth} (Zo["o]l.), one of many small moths of the genus
      {Crambus}, found in grass.

   {Grass oil}, a fragrant essential volatile oil, obtained in
      India from grasses of the genus {Andropogon}, etc.; --
      used in perfumery under the name of {citronella}, {ginger
      grass oil}, {lemon grass oil}, {essence of verbena} etc.
      

   {Grass owl} (Zo["o]l.), a South African owl ({Strix
      Capensis}).

   {Grass parrakeet} (Zo["o]l.), any of several species of
      Australian parrots, of the genus {Euphemia}; -- also
      applied to the zebra parrakeet.

   {Grass plover} (Zo["o]l.), the upland or field plover.

   {Grass poly} (Bot.), a species of willowwort ({Lythrum
      Hyssopifolia}). --Johnson.

   {Crass quit} (Zo["o]l.), one of several tropical American
      finches of the genus {Euetheia}. The males have most of
      the head and chest black and often marked with yellow.

   {Grass snake}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) The common English, or ringed, snake ({Tropidonotus
          natrix}).
      (b) The common green snake of the Northern United States.
          See {Green snake}, under {Green}.

   {Grass snipe} (Zo["o]l.), the pectoral sandpiper ({Tringa
      maculata}); -- called also {jacksnipe} in America.

   {Grass spider} (Zo["o]l.), a common spider ({Agelena
      n[ae]via}), which spins flat webs on grass, conspicuous
      when covered with dew.

   {Grass sponge} (Zo["o]l.), an inferior kind of commercial
      sponge from Florida and the Bahamas.

   {Grass table}. (Arch.) See {Earth table}, under {Earth}.

   {Grass vetch} (Bot.), a vetch ({Lathyrus Nissolia}), with
      narrow grasslike leaves.

   {Grass widow}. [Cf. Prov. R. an unmarried mother, G.
      strohwittwe a mock widow, Sw. gr["a]senka a grass widow.]
      (a) An unmarried woman who is a mother. [Obs.]
      (b) A woman separated from her husband by abandonment or
          prolonged absence; a woman living apart from her
          husband. [Slang.]

   {Grass wrack} (Bot.) eelgrass.

   {To bring to grass} (Mining.), to raise, as ore, to the
      surface of the ground.

   {To put to grass}, {To put out to grass}, to put out to graze
      a season, as cattle.