Skein Flight Geese Skayn Noun Length Yarn Wound

[From Middle English skeyine, from Old French escaigne. Notes: When in flight, geese are called a skein; when not in flight, a gaggle; and when flying in a V formation, they are referred to as a wedge. Ducks take a number of terms too: while in water, they're a paddling.]

"The article, described as a tale of 'bank fraud, oil trading, and bombs,' prompted Norman to follow a tangled skein of connections to a second, much broader, story." - Linda Grant; Newstrends: A Story You Won't Read in Forbes; Fortune (New York); Oct 2, 1995.

"Arrowhead skeins of geese fly northward and land at Walker Bay to breed." - Bruce Thorson; Boom and Bus; Canadian Geographic (Ottawa); Mar 13, 1998.