skain

English

Noun

skain (plural skains)

1. Obsolete spelling of skein. [16th–18th c.]
   • 1798, John Ebers, “Knouel”, in The New and Complete Dictionary of the German and English Languages […], volume II (H–R of the German Alphabet Explained in English), Leipzig, Saxony: […] Brietkopf and Haertel, →OCLC, page 360, column 1:

     Knouel, der, oder Kna̔uel, a Bottom or Clevv of Thread or of Yarn, a Hank, a Skain of Yarn or Thread.

   • 1807, G[eorge] Gregory, “ROPE-MAKING”, in A Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. […], volume II, London: […] [T. Gillet] for Richard Phillips, […], →OCLC, pages 602–603:

     The aim of the rope-maker is to unite the strings of a great number of fibres. […] This is done by twisting or twining them together, which causes them to compress each other. […] Consequently, if we pull at this twisted skain, we shall not separate it by drawing one parcel out from among the rest, but the whole fibres will break; and if the distribution of the fibres has been very equable, the skain will be nearly of the same strength in every part.

Further reading

• “skain”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Akins, Askin, Inkas, Naiks, ask in, askin', kains, kinas, naiks