skein

1 of 2

noun

1
or less commonly skean or skeane : a loosely coiled length of yarn or thread wound on a reel
2
: something suggesting the twists or coils of a skein : tangle
3
: a flock of wildfowl (such as geese or ducks) in flight

skein

2 of 2

verb

skeined; skeining; skeins

transitive verb

: to wind into skeins
skein yarn

Examples of skein in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
In the ’90s, the two artists collaborated on an installation in which a thick skein of synthetic black hair connected their grade school class portraits, taken in Toronto and Honolulu. Jenny Wu, ARTnews.com, 6 Nov. 2024 From wisps of activity, elaborate skeins of experience arise. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 4 Oct. 2024 Linea del Tiempo, an installation of eighteen hanging wool skeins by Gutiérrez, each dyed a different shade, demonstrates the process. Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 19 Sep. 2024 When the hagfish lets loose with a shot of slime, the skeins uncoil and combine with the salt water, blowing up more than 10,000 times its original size. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 20 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for skein 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English skeyne, from Middle French (Picard) escagne, probably from Vulgar Latin *scamnia, from *scamniare to wind yarn, from *scamnium rack for holding bobbins, from Latin scamnum bench, stool — more at shambles

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1775, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of skein was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near skein

Cite this Entry

“Skein.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skein. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

skein

noun
ˈskān
: a looped length of yarn or thread put up in a loose twist after it is taken from the reel

More from Merriam-Webster on skein

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