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Glite Dictionary
vibrating reed

vibrating reed

5.8
A thin stiff strip that makes sound when air moves through it in instruments like clarinets
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : caña vibrante
  • Clarinets and saxophones use a vibrating reed as a crucial part of their mouthpieces.

Examples

  • The technician replaced the old vibrating reed in the organ to restore its sound quality.

  • The vibrating reed creates a beautiful sound.

  • A metal vibrating reed is often found in scientific measuring instruments.

  • Many musicians prefer using a vibrating reed in their instruments.

  • Clarinets and saxophones use a vibrating reed as a crucial part of their mouthpieces.

  • The technician replaced the old vibrating reed in the organ to restore its sound quality.

  • Many musicians prefer using a vibrating reed in their instruments.

Synonyms

reed
vsvibrating reed
  • Specialized
6 6.0

A thin strip of material that vibrates to make sound in a wind instrument

is the same meaning but uses a longer descriptive phrase

Surface Forms

vibrating reed singular
vibrating reeds plural

Morphology

vibrate + reed

The meaning of 'vibrating reed' is directly and transparently derived from 'vibrate' (to oscillate) and 'reed' (a thin strip that vibrates to produce sound); a learner who knows those words can infer it denotes a reed that vibrates to make sound. This compound follows a straightforward noun+modifier pattern common across languages and standard in English, so it is predictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

The noun vibrating reed comes from the simple picture of a thin reed strip that starts vibrating like a tiny leaf when air blows over it. That's why the name refers to the thin part in instruments that makes a 'sound' or 'tone'.