A reel is a round cylinder used to hold and store long materials like thread, wire, or fishing line. You can wind material onto it and unwind it easily when needed. Reels are very common in fishing, sewing, and film industries.
She put a new reel of thread in the sewing machine.
The fisherman checked his reel before casting the line.
When you reel something in, you pull it toward you by winding a line around a reel. This word is most commonly used in fishing when a person pulls a fish out of the water. It can also mean to wind any material onto a spool or cylinder.
He reeled in the fish slowly and carefully.
She reeled the cable onto the big drum.
When a person reels, they move in an unsteady, swaying way as if they are about to fall. This often happens after receiving a shock, a physical blow, or when someone feels sick or dizzy. It is also used to describe being overwhelmed by bad news or a difficult situation.
He reeled backward after the strong punch hit him.
She reeled down the street, feeling very dizzy.
This meaning of reel is figurative and describes a mental or emotional state of being stunned or overwhelmed. It is used when someone cannot easily recover from bad news, a surprise, or a difficult event. This usage is common in newspapers and storytelling.
The team was still reeling from their unexpected loss.
She reeled when she heard the shocking news.
A reel in the modern digital sense is a short, often entertaining video clip shared on social media. It is most closely associated with Instagram Reels, which are videos usually under 90 seconds long. This meaning became very common after 2020 with the rise of short-form video content.
She posted a funny reel on Instagram last night.
His cooking reel got one million views quickly.
In the world of cinema and photography, a reel refers to a spool of film used in traditional movie cameras and projectors. Long films were often split across several reels that had to be changed manually during a screening. This meaning is less common today with digital cinema but is still used in film history discussions.
The projectionist changed the reel during the film break.
The old movie was stored on five separate reels.
A reel is a type of energetic and fast-paced folk dance that originates from Celtic cultures, particularly Scotland and Ireland. Dancers move in patterns and pairs to lively music played on fiddles or bagpipes. The music written for this dance is also called a reel.
They danced a fast reel at the Scottish wedding celebration.
The band played a traditional reel on their fiddles.
In the entertainment and creative industries, a reel (or showreel/demo reel) is a short compilation video that showcases a person's best and most impressive work. Actors, directors, voice artists, and editors all use reels to apply for new jobs or impress clients. It functions like a visual resume in creative professions.
The actor sent his reel to several casting directors.
Her showreel showed all her best acting work.
