A broken reed

[reed] /rid/
noun
the straight stalk of any of various tall gr-sses, especially of the genera phragmites and arundo, growing in marshy places.
any of the plants themselves.
such stalks or plants collectively.
anything made from such a stalk or from something similar, as an arrow.
music.

a pastoral or rustic musical pipe made from a reed or from the hollow stalk of some other plant.
a small, flexible piece of cane or metal that, attached to the mouth of any of various wind instruments, is set into vibration by a stream of air and, in turn, sets into vibration the air column enclosed in the tube of the instrument.
reed instrument.

textiles. the series of parallel strips of wires in a loom that force the weft up to the web and separate the threads of the warp.
an ancient unit of length, equal to 6 cubits. ezek. 40:5.
verb (used with object)
to decorate with reed.
to thatch with or as if with reed.
to make vertical grooves on (the edge of a coin, medal, etc.).
idioms
a broken reed, a person or thing too frail or weak to be relied on for support:
under stress he showed himself to be a broken reed.
related forms
reedlike, adjective
reed
/riːd/
noun
any of various widely distributed tall gr-sses of the genus phragmites, esp p. communis, that grow in swamps and shallow water and have jointed hollow stalks
the stalk, or stalks collectively, of any of these plants, esp as used for thatching
(music)

a thin piece of cane or metal inserted into the tubes of certain wind instruments, which sets in vibration the air column inside the tube
a wind instrument or organ pipe that sounds by means of a reed

one of the several vertical parallel wires on a loom that may be moved upwards to separate the warp threads
a small semicircular architectural moulding see also reeding