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to reel

to reel

54 3.4
To wind something onto or off a spool
  • verb
  • /ril/
translation icon : enrollar
  • The rod tip bends, and I jerk it back and reel in a scrappy spot.

So perhaps the hook, you could say, is the cause of the fish being able to be reeled in in a certain respect because it's hooked through the flesh.

Examples

  • The man walked along the bank, reeling in and laughing.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Now start reeling it in, slowly, don't lose it now.

  • Could we reel it in a couple of hundred yards?

  • "When he comes back around, raise your rod tip if you still can, and reel hard.

    Academic text (1997)
  • When you feel a fish, holler 'Fish on,' and I'll slow down while you reel him in.

    Academic text (1997)
  • He needed to reel in the fishing line slowly to avoid breaking it.

  • After catching the fish, she was careful to reel it in gently.

  • The technician had to reel the cable back onto the spool after the job was completed.

Synonyms

to spool
vsto reel
1 5.8

To wind thread, wire, or tape onto a small cylinder for storage

allows both winding and unwinding rather than only winding

Phrasal Verbs

to reel off
  • Informal
3 5.0

Say a list of things quickly and easily

Pull something off a reel or spool

To feel so shocked for a short time that you cannot think or speak

Compounds

A short video showing the best and most exciting moments of an event

A lively Scottish folk dance with fast music and round gliding steps

9.1

A country dance where two lines of couples face each other and do lively steps

How Fast

to whirl
17 2.6
to spin
227 1.0
to reel
54 3.4
to wind
225 3.2
turn
485 1.0

Surface Forms

reel infinitive
reeled past
reeled past participle
reeling present participle
reels third person singular

Etymology

Reel as a verb meaning to wind or unwind comes from turning a small wheel or spool, so to reel in a fishing line is to pull it toward you by winding it on the reel.