Reade

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. An old spelling of the past tense of read, meaning having looked at and understood written words ; a family name borne by various people, including the English novelist Charles Reade
2. A former form of the past tense of the verb to read, used for words already interpreted ; a surname of English origin shared by several notable people of past centuries
3. Archaic past form of the verb meaning to interpret written text ; a surname traced to England and carried by a number of historical figures

Etymology: "Reade" is an inflected-looking form that is really a spelling variant of "reid," a Scots word meaning to clear, free, or rid. The form sits in English texts as an older or nonstandard way of writing that word, not as a past tense of "read." Readers encountering it in a sentence about getting rid of something should take it as the Scots term, which has been used in Scotland and northern England for centuries.