DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan

 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.   --Milton.
 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.
 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 Zool. A European sparrow (Emberiza schœniclus) 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. Zool. See Reed bunting, above.
 Reed stop Mus., a set of pipes in an organ furnished with reeds.
 Reed warbler. Zool. (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.
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 Wren n.
 1. Zool. Any one of numerous species of small singing birds belonging to Troglodytes and numerous allied of the family Troglodytidae.
 Note: ☞ Among the species best known are the house wren (Troglodytes aedon) common in both Europe and America, and the American winter wren (Troglodytes hiemalis).  See also Cactus wren, Marsh wren, and Rock wren, under Cactus, Marsh, and Rock.
 2. Zool. Any one of numerous species of small singing birds more or less resembling the true wrens in size and habits.
 Note: ☞ Among these are several species of European warblers; as, the reed wren (see Reed warbler (a), under Reed), the sedge wren (see Sedge warbler, under Sedge), the willow wren (see Willow warbler, under Willow), the golden-crested wren, and the ruby-crowned wren (see Kinglet).
 Ant wren, any one of numerous South American birds of the family Formicaridae, allied to the ant thrushes.
 Blue wren, a small Australian singing bird (Malurus cyaneus), the male of which in the breeding season is bright blue. Called also superb warbler.
 Emu wren. See in the Vocabulary.
 Wren babbler, any one of numerous species of small timaline birds belonging to Alcippe, Stachyris, Timalia, and several allied genera. These birds are common in Southern Asia and the East Indies.
 Wren tit. See Ground wren, under Ground.
 Wren warbler, any one of several species of small Asiatic and African singing birds belonging to Prinia and allied genera. These birds are closely allied to the tailor birds, and build their nests in a similar manner.  See also Pincpinc.
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