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.
Synonyms
gaggle (on ground), flock
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.