skean

1 of 4
variants or skeane

less common spellings of skein

skean

2 of 4

noun (1)

ˈskē(-ə)n How to pronounce skean (audio)
variants or skene
: dagger, dirk

skein

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noun (2)

ˈskān How to pronounce skein (audio)
1
or less commonly skean or skeane
ˈskān How to pronounce skein (audio)
: 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

4 of 4

verb

skeined; skeining; skeins

transitive verb

: to wind into skeins
skein yarn

Examples of skean 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
Didion’s missives were keenly observant, full of language that cut like a skean. — Erin Overbey, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2021
Noun
The skein of stock success has ended. — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 May 2026 This yarn skein is $10 for 170 yards and is more than enough to make several amigurumi projects. — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 13 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for skean

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English skene, from Irish scian & Scottish Gaelic sgian, from Old Irish scían; probably akin to Sanskrit chyati he cuts off — more at science

Noun (2)

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 (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1775, in the meaning defined above

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

Rhymes for skean

See All Rhymes for skean

Browse Nearby Words

Skaw, The
skean
skean dhu
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Skean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skean. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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