Meaning & use
reels
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“reels” is a form of “reel”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nounplural
Round holders on which thread, film, wire or fishing line is wound.
Grammar: Plural of reel: two reels of film.
Patterns
- reels of something
- a pair of reels
The film came on three reels.
He bought new reels for his fishing rods.
Reels of cable stood beside the building site.
nounpluralinformal
Short videos, usually posted on social media apps, that are often set to music.
Grammar: Often capitalized when referring to a specific platform feature.
Patterns
- watch reels
- make reels
She posts cooking reels every week.
I spent an hour scrolling through reels.
nounpluralmusic
Lively traditional dances from Scotland and Ireland, or the fast music used for them.
Grammar: Plural for several dances or tunes.
Patterns
- dance reels
- play reels
The band played reels all evening.
We learned two Scottish reels at the party.
verbtransitive or intransitive
Third person singular of reel: moves unsteadily, as if about to fall, or winds something onto a reel.
Grammar: Third-person form: she reels from the shock.
Patterns
- reels from something
- reels in something
The town reels from the loss of its biggest employer.
He reels in the fish slowly.
Common combinations
- fishing reels
- He keeps his fishing reels in the garage.
- reels of film
- The archive holds thousands of reels of film.
- Instagram reels
- She watches Instagram reels on the bus.
- Irish reels
- The pub night features Irish reels.
- reels in the crowd
- The performer reels in the crowd with each song.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spools
- Spools are often smaller holders for thread or tape, while reels are larger and used for film, cable or fishing.
- bobbins
- Bobbins hold thread in sewing machines and are narrower than reels.
- clips
- Clips are short pieces of video in general, while reels are a format on social platforms.
Word family
Commonly confused: reels or real?
reels vs real
Real means actual or true, and sounds almost the same as reel but is spelled differently.
Practice
Which sentence uses reels to mean traditional dances?
Choose one answer.
Lively reels at a festival are folk dances or tunes. The other sentences mean film reels, social videos and fishing reels.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reels”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.