Editing Reel (section)

{{Short description|Device used to store elongated and flexible objects}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Refimprove|date=January 2012}}
[[File:ElectricWireOnReel.JPG|thumb|upright|A 250 V 16 A electrical wire on a reel]]
[[File:AutomaticlyOperatingIrrigationReel.jpg|thumb|upright|An irrigation reel with travelling sprinkler]]

A '''reel''' is a tool used to store elongated and flexible objects (e.g. [[yarn]]s/[[rope|cord]]s, [[ribbon]]s, [[electric cable|cable]]s, [[hose]]s, etc.) by wrapping the material around a [[cylindrical]] core known as a ''[[bobbin|spool]]''. Many reels also have [[flange]]s (known as the ''rims'') around the ends of the spool to help retain the wrapped material and prevent unwanted slippage off the ends. In most cases, the reel spool is hollow in order to pass an [[axle]] and allow it to spin like a [[wheel]], a winding process known as ''reeling'', which can be done by manually turning the reel with [[handle]]s or [[crank (mechanism)|crank]]s, or by [[machine]]-powered rotating via (typically [[electric motor|electric]]) [[motor]]s.