Pronunciation enPR: rēd, IPA (key): /riːd/ Audio (US)(file) Hyphenation: read (noun/present tense) Noun Singular reed Plural reeds (countable) A reed is a tall plant that grows in water. There are reeds growing by the pond. (countable) A reed is a thin piece of wood that is used in musical instruments. The oboe uses two reeds to play. Wikiwand - on Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.