skein

[ skeyn ]
See synonyms for skein on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a length of yarn or thread wound on a reel or swift preparatory for use in manufacturing.

  2. anything wound in or resembling such a coil: a skein of hair.

  1. something suggestive of the twistings of a skein: an incoherent skein of words.

  2. a flock of geese, ducks, or the like, in flight.

  3. a succession or series of similar or interrelated things: a skein of tennis victories.

Origin of skein

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English skeyne, skayne, from Middle French escaigne; further origin unknown

Words Nearby skein

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How to use skein in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for skein

skein

/ (skeɪn) /


noun
  1. a length of yarn, etc, wound in a long coil

  2. something resembling this, such as a lock of hair

  1. a flock of geese flying: Compare gaggle (def. 2)

Origin of skein

1
C15: from Old French escaigne, of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012