a length of yarn or thread wound on a reel or swift preparatory for use in manufacturing.

anything wound in or resembling such a coil

a skein of hair.

something suggestive of the twistings of a skein

an incoherent skein of words.

a flock of geese, ducks, or the like, in flight.

a succession or series of similar or interrelated things

a skein of tennis victories.

noun

cat\'s cradle , entanglement , jungle , knot , labyrinth , maze , mesh , morass , snarl , web , strand