reel

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈrēl 

plural reels

1

: a revolvable device on which something flexible is wound: such as

a

: a small windlass at the butt of a fishing rod for the line

b

chiefly British : a spool or bobbin for sewing thread

c

: a flanged spool for photographic film

especially : one for movies

2

: a quantity of something wound on a reel

3

a

: a compilation of video clips

a blooper/demo/gag reel

This supercut edits together montages from 10 classic '80s movies into one, half-hour highlight reel.

—Michele Debczak

b

: a video posted on the Internet (as on a social media platform)

One of the biggest stars to give the new shoes a shot is Ciara, who posted a reel on Instagram showing off her look.

—Devon Forward

reel

2 of 5

verb (1)

reeled; reeling; reels

transitive verb

1

: to wind on or as if on a reel

2

: to draw by reeling a line

reel a fish in

intransitive verb

: to turn a reel

reelable

ˈrē-lə-bəl 

adjective

reel

3 of 5

verb (2)

reeled; reeling; reels

intransitive verb

1

a

: to turn or move round and round

b

: to be in a whirl

2

: to behave in a violent disorderly manner

3

: to waver or fall back (as from a blow)

4

: to walk or move unsteadily

transitive verb

: to cause to reel

reel

4 of 5

noun (2)

: a reeling motion

reel

5 of 5

noun (3)

1

: a lively Scottish-Highland dance

also : the music for this dance

2

: virginia reel

Synonyms of reel

Verb (2)

• spin
• swim

Noun (2)

• rotation
• spin
• roll
• wheel
• twirl

Examples of reel in a Sentence

Verb (2)

his mind reeled upon hearing the news that his employer had been indicted for fraud

got off the amusement park ride reeling and barely able to stand

Noun (2)

she slipped and, after an out-of-control reel, fell on her backside

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden delivered highlight-reel catches, while cornerback Benjamin St-Juste made a crucial interception. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

The BookTok community quickly honed in on Iacono for the role of Liz’s neighbor Wes Bennett, creating reels of the dream casting before the adaptation was announced. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 July 2026

Verb

Plus, it's got an automatic reeling system to pull the tethering cable back into its body at the press of a button. — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 29 July 2026

Stafford had to adjust the ball to fit it into a tight window, and Nacua reached up one hand to reel it in without breaking stride before taking it to the house. — Nate Atkins, New York Times, 28 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English hrēol; akin to Old Norse hræll weaver's reed, Greek krekein to weave

Verb (2)

Middle English relen, probably from reel, noun

Noun (3)

probably from reel entry 4

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1550, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

circa 1572, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

circa 1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reel

• reel in
• reel off
• reel-to-reel
• sizzle reel
• spinning reel
• Virginia reel

Rhymes for reel

• beal
• chiel
• ciel
• creel
• deal
• diel
• eel
• feel
• feil
• heal
• heel
• keel

Kids Definition

reel

1 of 5 noun

ˈrē(ə)l 

1

a

: a device that can be turned round and round and on which something flexible is wound

b

: a device which is set on the handle of a fishing pole and used for winding up or letting out the line

c

: a narrow spool with a rim used to guide photographic film or magnetic tape

2

: a quantity of something wound on a reel

3

: a frame for drying clothes

reel

2 of 5 verb

1

: to wind on or as if on a reel

2

: to pull (as a fish) by reeling a line

3

: to wind or turn a reel

reelable

ˈrē-lə-bəl 

adjective

reeler noun

reel

3 of 5 verb

1

a

: to whirl around

reeling in a dance

b

: to be in a whirl

heads reeling with excitement

2

: to fall back (as from a blow)

3

: to walk or move unsteadily

reel

4 of 5 noun

: a reeling motion

reel

5 of 5 noun

: a lively dance originally of the Scottish Highlands

also : the music for this dance