skein
skein — 名詞
- skeinsingular
- skeinsplural
1. a loosely wound bundle of wool, thread, or yarn shaped like a ring, usually sold
絞紗；一束
將毛線或絲線鬆鬆繞成環形束
a loosely wound bundle of wool, thread, or yarn shaped like a ring, usually sold or stored in this form before being used for knitting, weaving, or embroidery
Grandma Rosa picked out three soft skeins of blue wool for the baby blanket she was knitting.
Grandma Rosa 挑了三捆柔軟的藍色毛線絞紗，準備幫新生兒織一條小毯子。
a skein of [colour/material] [purpose]
The cat got into the craft basket and dragged a skein of red silk thread halfway across the living room.
那隻貓鑽進手工藝籃子裡，把一束紅色絲線絞紗拖過了半個客廳的地板。
Each skein of hand-dyed cotton costs about four hundred dollars at the weekend market in Taipei.
在台北的週末市集，每一絞手工染色的棉線要價大約四百元。
- hank
A hank is a specific type of skein measured by length; in craft contexts, 'skein' is the more general term for any loosely coiled length of yarn.
- ball (of yarn)
A ball is wound tightly into a round shape, unlike the loose, open loop of a skein. Many knitters wind a skein into a ball before beginning a project.
文法句型
a skein of [material]
用法筆記
Unlike a ball of yarn, a skein is wound in a loose, elongated loop that must be wound into a ball before use, or it will tangle.
2. a long, stretched-out formation of wild water birds, especially geese or ducks,
雁群；鳥群
飛行中的一大群野鳥（尤指水鳥）
a long, stretched-out formation of wild water birds, especially geese or ducks, flying together through the sky
A skein of geese passed low over the rice paddies, their calls echoing across the valley.
一群大雁低飛過稻田上空，叫聲在整個山谷間迴盪。
a skein of [bird species] + verb of motion
From the hilltop, the birdwatchers spotted a skein of ducks flying south against the grey winter sky.
賞鳥人士從山頂上看到一群野鴨排成人字形，在冬日灰濛濛的天空中向南飛去。
The children ran outside to watch a skein of swans glide silently above the mist-covered lake at dawn.
孩子們跑到外面，看著一群天鵝在黎明時分靜靜地滑過籠罩薄霧的湖面。
文法句型
a skein of [bird species]
用法筆記
This sense is primarily used in literary or descriptive writing. A more everyday word for a group of birds is 'flock'. 'Skein' specifically describes birds that fly in long, drawn-out formations, not compact flocks.
常見錯誤
skein — 動詞
- skeinpresent simple I / you / we / they
- skeins3rd person singular
- skeining-ing form
- skeinedpast simple
1. to wind wool, thread, or yarn into a long, loose circular bundle called a skein,
繞成絞紗
將毛線或絲線繞成環形束狀
to wind wool, thread, or yarn into a long, loose circular bundle called a skein, typically after the material has been dyed or spun by hand
After dyeing the wool with indigo, Chen Wei carefully skeined the yarn and hung it to dry.
Chen Wei 用靛藍染料將羊毛染好色後，仔細地把毛線繞成絞紗，掛起來晾乾。
skein + [material] + purpose phrase
The weaver skeined the hand-spun cotton and tied each bundle with a piece of coloured string.
那位織布工將手紡棉線繞成絞紗，並在每一束上繫一條彩色繩子。
Aisha's grandmother taught her how to skein yarn on a wooden swift without letting the threads tangle.
Aisha 的祖母教她如何在木製繞線架上繞絞紗，以免線條纏在一起。
- wind
A general term for coiling thread around something; 'skein' specifies the particular technique of making a skein rather than a ball or spool.
文法句型
skein + [material]