DictionaryAI

ree

USREE/ɹi/

Noun pluralrees

Verbrees, reeing, reed

10 meanings of ree

Practice

  1. 1
    adjectivedialectal
    Wild and out of control, or so excited that you act crazy.

    The children were ree with excitement on the last day of school.

    The old bull went ree and broke through the fence.

    Similarwild, frenzied, crazed, frantic

    Oppositecalm

    Note
  2. 2
    noundialectalcountable
    A time when someone is very excited or wild.

    The news put the whole village in a ree.

    She was in a real ree over the wedding plans.

    Similarfrenzy, lather, tizzy

    Note
  3. 3
    verbdialectalintransitive
    To get very excited, or to get very angry very fast.

    The dogs ree whenever a stranger comes to the gate.

    He reed when he saw the broken window.

    Similarrage, rave

    Note
  4. 4
    verbdialectaltransitive
    To make someone very excited or full of energy for something.

    Don't ree the children just before bed.

    The coach's speech reed the whole team.

    Similarexcite, rouse, stir, electrify

    Oppositecalm

    Note
  5. 5
    adjectivedialectal
    A little drunk, so that you cannot think clearly.

    After two glasses of whisky, Uncle Tam was a bit ree.

    He came home ree from the pub and fell asleep in his chair.

    Similartipsy, merry

    Oppositesober

    Note
  6. 6
    noundialectalcountable
    A state of being confused or drunk.

    He drank too much at the party and spent the whole night in a ree.

    She was still in a ree from the whisky the next morning.

    Similarstupor, daze

    Note
  7. 7
    noundialectalScotlandShetlandcountable
    A time of stormy weather, especially one that comes at about the same time each year.

    The fishermen stayed home until the spring ree had passed.

    Every year a ree hits the islands in early May.

    Similarstorm

    Note

Less common meanings

  1. 8
    nounobsolete
    Alternative form of rei, an old Portuguese unit of money. It is no longer used.
    Note
  2. 9
    verbobsoleteUK
    To shake something through a sieve to take out the bits you do not want.

    They would ree the ashes from the fire to save the bits of coal that had not burned.

    The farmer reed the grain through a sieve to get rid of the dust.

    Note
  3. 10
    nounobsoleteEssex
    A small river or a stream.

    The cows drank from the ree at the bottom of the field.

    The church of this pariſh, vulgarly called St. Mary Overy, from its dedication to the virgin Mary, and ſituation over the Ree or river, in reſpect of London, is a ſtately Gothic ſtructure, in the form of a cathedral.
    1768, Tobias George Smollett, The Present State of all NationsHere, Ree means a river or stream.
    Note

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of ree apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–6

From the Old English word hrēoh, meaning “rough, wild, angry”.

Meaning 10

No one is sure where it comes from. It may come from Old English þære ēa being heard as “the ree”, or it may be a form of rith.

Meaning 7

From the Old Norse word hríð, meaning “storm”.