skein

English

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) skean

Etymology

From Middle English skeyne, Old French escaigne, French écagne, probably of Celtic origin

Pronunciation

• enPR: skān, IPA: /skeɪn/, X-SAMPA: /skeIn/
• Rhymes: -eɪn

Noun

skein (plural skeins)

1. A quantity of yarn, thread, or the like, put up together, after it is taken from the reel. A skein of cotton yarn is formed by eighty turns of the thread round a fifty-four inch reel.
2. (figuratively) A web, a weave, a tangle.
3. (wagonmaking) A metallic strengthening band or thimble on the wooden arm of an axle.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Knight to this entry?)

4. (zoology, provincial England) A group of wild fowl, (e.g. geese, goslings) when they are in flight.
5. (sports) A winning streak.

Translations

quantity of yarn

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 綹 (cmn), 绺 (cmn) (liǔ)

• Danish: fed (da) n, dukke (da) c
• Dutch: vendel (nl) n
• Finnish: vyyhti (fi)
• French: écheveau (fr) m
• German: Strang (de) m

• Greek:

  Ancient: κλωστήρ m

• Irish: scáinne (ga) f
• Italian: matassa (it)
• Persian: کلاف (fa)
• Russian: моток пряжи (ru) (motók prjáži) m, моток (ru) (motók) m
• Serbo-Croatian: klupko (sh) n
• Spanish: madeja (es) f

figuratively: tangle

• Finnish: vyyhti (fi)

wagonmaking: metallic strengthening

zoology: wild fowl in flight

• German: Schar (de) f

• Italian: stormo (it) m

winning streak — see winning streak

See also

• gaggle
• wedge

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Faroese

Pronunciation

• IPA: /skaiːn/

Noun

skein f (genitive singular skeinar, plural skeinir)

1. (kvæði) scratch, small wound

Related terms

• (common): skeina

Declension

f2	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	skein	skeinin	skeinir	skeinirnar
Accusative	skein	skeinina	skeinir	skeinirnar
Dative	skein	skeinini	skeinum	skeinunum
Genitive	skeinar	skeinarinnar	skeina	skeinanna

Verb

skein

1. shone, singular past tense form of skína (to shine)