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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Reel Definition, Pronunciation, and Common Uses (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：stagger unsteadily (reel)

reel 🔊

/riːl/

n. v.

to move in an unsteady way, as if you are about to fall, often because you are dizzy, shocked, or drunk.

Person reeling from dizziness, leaning against wall unsteadily

stagger unsteadily 🔊

➕

/ˈstæɡər ʌnˈstɛdɪli/

n. v.

To move in a swaying or unsteady manner, often due to dizziness, shock, or intoxication.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English hrēol 'spindle'; verb sense 'stagger' from spinning motion.

💡 Mnemonic

Picture a fishing reel spinning fast, making you feel dizzy and unsteady—like the verb 'reel'.

📖 Example

After hearing the shocking news, she felt dizzy and had to sit down to avoid reeling. 🔊 After receiving the shocking news, she felt dizzy and had to sit down to avoid staggering.

🔗 Collocations

reel back – to move backward unsteadily

reel from – to be shocked or affected by something

reel under – to struggle to cope with something

🔄 Synonyms

stagger (v.) – to walk or move unsteadily, as if about to fall

sway (v.) – to move slowly back and forth or from side to side

totter (v.) – to walk with unsteady steps, as if about to fall

🚫 Antonyms

steady (v.) – to make or become stable and balanced

stabilize (v.) – to make stable, steady, or firm

stand firm (phrase) – to remain steady and not move

🌱 Derivatives

reeling (adj.) – feeling dizzy or unsteady

reelingly (adv.) – in a reeling manner

📖 Cultural Story

Originating from Old English hrēol, meaning 'spindle' or 'reel', the verb sense developed from the motion of a spinning wheel, describing unsteady movement like a rotating object.

Meaning 2：a spool for winding (reel)

reel 🔊

/riːl/

n. v.

A round object that you can wind things like thread, fishing line, or film onto.

Fishing reel on rod by lake, spool and handle visible

a spool for winding 🔊

➕

/ə spuːl fɔːr ˈwaɪndɪŋ/

n. v.

A cylindrical device with a handle, used to wind and store thread, wire, film, or fishing line.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

My grandfather showed me his old fishing reel, with its smooth wooden handle and shiny metal parts. 🔊 My grandfather demonstrated his vintage fishing reel, featuring a smooth wooden handle and gleaming metal components.

🔗 Collocations

fishing reel – a reel used to store and retrieve fishing line

thread reel – a spool on which thread is wound

reel of film – a spool containing a length of photographic film

🔄 Synonyms

spool (n.) – a cylinder on which thread, film, or wire is wound

bobbin (n.) – a small spool used in sewing or weaving

drum (n.) – a cylindrical container or part, especially for winding cable