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skein

(skān)

a. A length of thread or yarn wound in a loose long coil.

b. Something suggesting the coil of a skein; a complex tangle: a twisted skein of lies.

2. A flock of geese or similar birds in flight.

[Middle English skeine, of Old North French origin (compare Middle French escaigne and modern Picard écaigne), from Vulgar Latin *scamnium, reel (which resembles a stool with multiple legs), from Latin scamnum, bench, stool.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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