skein (skayn) noun 1. A length of yarn wound around a reel.
2. A flock of geese, ducks, or other similar birds in flight. 3. Something suggesting complex twists and tangles. [From Middle English skeyine, from Old French escaigne.] When in flight, geese are called a skein; when not in flight, a gaggle; and when flying in a V formation, they are referred to as a wedge. Ducks take a number of terms too: while in water, they are called a paddling. "The article, described as a tale of 'bank fraud, oil trading, and bombs,' prompted Norman to follow a tangled skein of connections to a second, much broader, story." Linda Grant; Newstrends: A Story You Won't Read in Forbes; Fortune (New York); Oct 2, 1995. "Arrowhead skeins of geese fly northward and land at Walker Bay to breed." Bruce Thorson; Boom and Bus; Canadian Geographic (Ottawa); Mar 13, 1998. This week's theme: collective nouns. Sponsors' Messages: Love books? Join my team FREE in Sept! Award-winning children's books to buy & sell. http://UsborneEllen.com Click on Income Opportunities and View Specials. Monthly French, German, Italian and Spanish cultural audio magazines for intermediate-to-advanced learners. http://web.champs-elysees.com/wsmith1 ............................................................................ A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury. -John Stuart Mill, philosopher and economist (1806-1873) Send your comments to (words AT wordsmith.org). For subscriber services, visit http://wordsmith.org/awad/subscriber.html Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/skein.wav http://wordsmith.org/words/skein.ram Permalink: http://wordsmith.org/words/skein.html This message was sent to "[email protected]".
