reel Hear it!

reel1 definition

reel (rēl)

intransitive verb

  1. to give way or fall back; sway, waver, or stagger as from being struck
  2. to lurch or stagger about, as from drunkenness or dizziness
  3. to go around and around; whirl
  4. to feel dizzy; have a sensation of spinning or whirling

Etymology: ME relen < the n.: from the sensation of whirling

transitive verb

to cause to reel

noun

a reeling motion; whirl, stagger, etc.

Etymology: ME rele < OE hreol: see reel

reel2 definition

reel (rēl)

noun

    1. a lively Scottish dance
    2. Virginia reel
  2. music for either of these

Etymology: prob. < reel, n.

reel3 definition

reel (rēl)

noun

  1. a frame or spool on which thread, wire, tape, film, a net, etc. is wound
  2. such a frame set on the handle of a fishing rod, to wind up or let out the line
  3. the quantity of wire, thread, film, tape, etc. usually wound on one reel
  4. in some lawn mowers, a set of spiral steel blades rotating on a horizontal bar set between wheels

Etymology: ME < OE hreol < Gmc *hrehulaz < IE base *krek-, to strike, make a weaving motion > Gr krekein, to weave, Latvian krekls, shirt

transitive verb, intransitive verb

to wind on a reel
reel Idioms

reel in

  1. to wind on a reel
  2. to pull in (a fish) by winding a line on a reel

reel off

to tell, write, produce, etc. easily and quickly

reel out

to unwind from a reel

(right) off the reel

☆
without hesitation or pause

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

reel Synonyms

reel

n.

spool, bobbin, windlass, spindle, wheel, wound strip, roll of film.


reel

v.

sway, stagger, lurch, weave, feel dizzy, feel giddy, bob, waver, flounder, walk drunkenly, totter, stumble, careen, pitch, roll, whirl, spin, rock, falter, fall back.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

reel Usage Examples

Object

  • recorder: Poor Mini Circa late 1960s - Portable reel to reel tape recorder.

Converse of object

  • accomodate: Padded reel pouches large enough to accomodate big pit reels, with padded flap between rods for added protection.

Adjective modifier

  • spinning: Town on illinois route five spinning reels have to settle the market is.

Modifies a noun

  • pouch: Padded reel pouch is large enough to take a big pit reel.

Noun used with modifier

  • hose: BA team with hose reel enter ground floor to continue fire fighting.

Infinitive complement

  • extinguish: Firefighters used 4 Breathing Apparatus and 2 hose reels to extinguish the blaze but the terrace house suffered 100 % damage.

Preposition: of

  • microfilm: In 1994/95 we installed a new microfilm store capable of holding 400,000 reels of positive microfilm.

Preposition: from

  • shock: India is still reeling from the shock of the massive explosion that shook the country's commercial capital.
reel usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

reel quotes

Headstones stagger under great draughts of time after heads pass out, and their world must reel speechless, blind in the end about its chilling star

-Berryman,John originally John Allyn Smith

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits'end.

-Bible (Old Testament)

The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. Song of Solomon

-Bible (Old Testament)

reel quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"reel." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/reel>

APA Style

reel. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/reel

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment