Skein
noun /skeɪn/ — A group of geese in flight — named for the thread-like shape they make.
Definition
The collective noun for a group of geese in flight — named after a skein of yarn or thread, which unrolls in a long, fluid line. The geese in their V-formation are a living thread drawn across the sky.
Beyond the definition
There is something deeply poetic about the choice. A skein of yarn unwinds; so does a skein of geese, pulling across the sky in autumn. The image of migration has always carried emotional weight — the sense of things moving with purpose toward somewhere else.
Origin & history
Old French 'escaigne' — a bundle of yarn or thread. Applied to geese in flight because the V-formation or loose line resembles the unwinding of a thread. One of English's most visually precise collective nouns.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
A skein of geese crossed the sky from north to south at dusk.
She watched the skein until it disappeared — something about migration always moved her.
The word 'skein' for geese is a metaphor that arrived and stayed.
How to use it
This entry uses a noun. Follow the examples for articles and singular or plural forms; not every noun takes “a” or “an.”
Choose “Skein” when the meaning fits your context: The collective noun for a group of geese in flight — named after a skein of yarn or thread, which unrolls in a long, fluid line. The geese in their V-formation are a living thread drawn across the sky.
Synonyms
gaggle (on ground), flock
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Skein" mean?
Skein is noun meaning: A group of geese in flight — named for the thread-like shape they make.. The collective noun for a group of geese in flight — named after a skein of yarn or thread, which unrolls in a long, fluid line. The geese in their V-formation are a living thread drawn across the sky.
Where does the word "Skein" come from?
Old French 'escaigne' — a bundle of yarn or thread. Applied to geese in flight because the V-formation or loose line resembles the unwinding of a thread. One of English's most visually precise collective nouns.