Definition of reel

The word "reel" originally derives from the Old Norse word "hrylr," meaning "spindle" or "spindle whorl." In medieval Europe, all textiles, including wool, linen, and silk, were spun from loose fibers into yarn using a spindle and a whorl, which served as a weight to balance the spinning process. The spindle could be held in the hand or mounted on a larger support, such as a board or a simple frame, called a distaff. With the invention of the spinning wheel in the 14th century, production of yarn increased dramatically, making the frame obsolete. However, when Isaac Newton in the late 17th century conceived of the first flying shuttle for weaving, which allowed for faster and more efficient weaving of larger weaves, it also required a new mechanism to wind and store the yarn as it was being fed through the loom. They needed a device that would wind the yarn onto a cylindrical platform, or bobbin, and a horizontal structure was invented, which later became known as the "spinning frame," and finally its mechanism that would wind yarn onto a cylindrical roll, the "reel." The term "reel" mainly refers to this device used in thread and yarn winding and spooling, as well as for holding and dispensing digital media, such as film or tape in the motion picture industry, or audiotape or videotape in the electronics industry. The broader use of the term "reel" to mean "a roll of something" has evolved from its original meaning in textile production.