Skein
collective noun /skeɪn/ — Geese in flight — stretched across the sky in a thread of movement.
Definition
The collective noun for geese in flight, typically arranged in a V-formation. The word is borrowed from the bundled thread of yarn it resembles in the sky.
Beyond the definition
A skein of geese across an autumn sky is one of those sights that catches the breath. There's something about the formation — purposeful, ancient, together — that feels meaningful in a way that's hard to articulate.
Origin & history
From Old French escaigne — a hank of thread or yarn. When geese fly in formation, seen from below or against the sky, they resemble a loose thread being pulled across the horizon. The image is visually precise.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
A skein of geese crossed the October sky, pulling something in her chest.
He watched the skein until it was a single thread at the edge of the light.
There is migration in the word skein — the sense of a long journey underway.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Skein” when the meaning fits your context: The collective noun for geese in flight, typically arranged in a V-formation. The word is borrowed from the bundled thread of yarn it resembles in the sky.
Synonyms
flock, flight, gaggle
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Word in focus
A skein of geese
Canada geese flying together in a V-shaped formation against a blue sky.
Here, “skein” names the whole gathering. Notice the animals together rather than looking for one individual with that name. The photograph illustrates the group; it is not evidence that this particular scene inspired the expression.
Image credit: John Benson · CC BY 2.0 (license)
Resized and converted to WebP; full composition retained.
Questions about this word
What does "Skein" mean?
Skein is collective noun meaning: Geese in flight — stretched across the sky in a thread of movement.. The collective noun for geese in flight, typically arranged in a V-formation. The word is borrowed from the bundled thread of yarn it resembles in the sky.
Where does the word "Skein" come from?
From Old French escaigne — a hank of thread or yarn. When geese fly in formation, seen from below or against the sky, they resemble a loose thread being pulled across the horizon. The image is visually precise.