Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

skein

/skeɪn/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.34 in modern English

Syllables
skein
IPA
/skeɪn/
9
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A quantity of thread, yarn, etc., wound on a reel then removed and loosely knotted into an oblong shape; a skein of cotton is formed by eighty turns of thread around a reel with a fifty-four inch diameter.

noun

A thing resembling a skein (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1) of thread, yarn, etc.

noun

A thing resembling a skein (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1) of thread, yarn, etc.

British usage

noun

A thing resembling a skein (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1) of thread, yarn, etc.

Obsolete

noun

A tangle, a weave, a web.

noun

A winning streak.

noun

A series created by a web (“major broadcasting network”).

American usage; Dated

verb

To weave or wind (thread, yarn, etc.) into a skein (noun etymology 1, noun sense 1).

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English skaine, skayne (“quantity of string, thread, etc., wound on a reel; the string, thread, etc., so wound”), from Old French escaigne (modern French écagne, écaigne (Picardy)); further etymology uncertain, probably from Proto-Celtic, from Proto-Indo-European *skend- (“to split off”). The verb is derived from noun. cognates * Irish scáinne (“skein, clew”)

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *skend-, skaine, escaigne, -, *skey-, scheen

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /skeɪn/
  • British English: /skeɪn/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce skein?
The recorded pronunciation is /skeɪn/.
What does skein mean?
A quantity of thread, yarn, etc., wound on a reel then removed and loosely knotted into an oblong shape; a skein of cotton is formed by eighty turns of thread around a reel with a fifty-four inch diameter.
Where does skein come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce skein

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “skein”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/skeɪn/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “skein”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “skein” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.