reel

/ril/

/ril/

Other forms: reeled; reeling; reels

A reel is a cylinder that can be wound with flexible material like film or fishing line. If you found dozens of reels of old home movies in your grandparents' attic, you'd search for a projector.

You might find an old movie reel, a reel of copper wire, or a fishing reel. Use the reel on your fishing pole to reel in your fish! Yes, it’s a verb, too. And it’s a lively folk dance — or the music for it — from Scotland (Highland reel), or America (Virginia reel). As a verb, reel also means to sway from dizziness. If an ear infection messes with your balance, you might reel down the hall like you were drunk.

Definitions of reel

1. noun

   a winder around which thread or tape or film or other flexible materials can be wound
   synonyms: bobbin, spool

   types:

   filature

   a bobbin used in spinning silk into thread

   shuttle

   bobbin that passes the weft thread between the warp threads

   type of:

   winder

   mechanical device around which something can be wound
2. noun

   winder consisting of a revolving spool with a handle; attached to a fishing rod
   type of:

   winder

   mechanical device around which something can be wound
3. noun

   a roll of photographic film holding a series of frames to be projected by a movie projector
   type of:

   film, photographic film

   photographic material consisting of a base of celluloid covered with a photographic emulsion; used to make negatives or transparencies
4. verb

   wind onto or off a reel
   types:

   reel off, unreel

   unwind from or as if from a reel

   type of:

   roll, twine, wind, wrap

   arrange or coil around
5. verb

   revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
   synonyms: gyrate, spin, spin around, whirl

   types:

   whirligig

   whirl or spin like a whirligig

   type of:

   go around, revolve, rotate

   turn on or around an axis or a center
6. verb

   walk as if unable to control one's movements
   synonyms: careen, keel, lurch, stagger, swag

   type of:

   walk

   use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
7. verb

   be dizzy or giddy
   synonyms: swim

   type of:

   be

   have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun)
8. noun

   a lively dance of Scottish Highlanders; marked by circular moves and gliding steps
   synonyms: Scottish reel

   types:

   highland fling

   a vigorous Scottish reel

   eightsome

   a Scottish reel for eight dancers

   type of:

   square dance, square dancing

   American country dancing in which couples form squares
9. noun

   an American country dance which starts with the couples facing each other in two lines
   synonyms: Virginia reel

   type of:

   longways, longways dance

   country dancing performed with couples in two long lines facing each other
10. noun

    music composed for dancing a reel
    type of:

    dance music

    music to dance to