skein
noun
\ ˈskān
\
\
Definition of skein
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
or less commonly skean
or skeane \ ˈskān
\
: a loosely coiled length of yarn or thread wound on a reel
\
: 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
verb
skeined;
skeining;
skeins
Definition of skein (Entry 2 of 2)
: to wind into skeins
skein yarn
Examples of skein in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The plane cut through a skein of dark-gray cloud, through a layer of liquid light, into another cloud that started as dark as steel wool, then thickened to gray and turned slowly white. — Anne Enright, The New Yorker, "The Weight," 29 Aug. 2019 San Francisco has a new interim transportation chief to oversee its multigenerational stock of Muni vehicles, its expanding skein of bike lanes and its menagerie of two-wheeled devices, among other things. — Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, "SF Muni board taps Maguire as interim chief during search for leader," 10 July 2019 In the rear, scores of electrical cords sprawled across the floor keep the heaters and lights humming, a tangle that recalls the jumbled skeins of paint in a Jackson Pollock drip painting. — Christopher Knight, latimes.com, "MOCA on the rebound? Three strong shows and free entry are welcome signs of change," 12 June 2019 Where another granny might clutch her knitting needle and skein of yarn, Neel has a paintbrush and a white painter’s rag. — Julia Felsenthal, Vogue, "Searching for Myself in Alice Neel’s Radical Portraits," 26 Feb. 2019 The story’s fabric is woven throughout with the steadily fraying skein of Jewish teaching and observance. — Gerard Baker, WSJ, "On Stage, a Capitalist Morality Tale With Questions for Today," 19 Oct. 2018 Dancing across the top three panels is an undulating horizontal red skein. — Sharon Mizota, latimes.com, "At Blum & Poe, bow down to the ecstatic painting of Mimi Lauter," 30 May 2018 Cardboard trays, gathered in one sector, hold scraps of natural materials — a skein of wool, desiccated plant matter. — Charles Desmarais, SFChronicle.com, "Charles Desmarais’ art pick for July 15: Susanne Kriemann’s ‘Canopy, canopy’," 7 July 2018 The early days of sea exploration, especially in the Arctic, are filled with accounts of mariners following skeins of migrating geese to make a landfall. — John Schandelmeier, Anchorage Daily News, "Some words on birds and their impact on Alaska and the rest of the world," 24 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'skein.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for skein
skein
noun
English Language Learners Definition of skein
: a long piece of yarn or thread that is loosely wound
See the full definition for skein in the English Language Learners Dictionary
skein
noun
\ ˈskān
\
\
Kids Definition of skein
: a quantity of yarn or thread arranged in a loose coil