Definition of "skein" [skein]

• A length of thread or yarn wound in a loose long coil. (noun)
• Something suggesting the coil of a skein; a complex tangle: a twisted skein of lies. (noun)
• A flock of geese or similar birds in flight. See Synonyms at flock1. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "That's cuz the other skein is already in progress:"
• "Each skein is 3 balls of Baby Ull. When I finish Susie's shawl, I'll see if I can use these for some of Cookie's socks."
• "I don’t know if you can tell, but the skein is almost * nothing* and I hope I don’t run out."