Skean

No man dared to present himself at mass without some weapon, a pike, a long knife called a skean, or, at the very least, a strong ashen stake, pointed and hardened in the fire. ❋ Thomas Babington Macaulay Macaulay (1829)

a knife the Scotch highlanders call a skean-dhu, sharp-pointed as a needle, sharp-edged as a razor, and with one blow of it he had cleft her heart, and she never cried or laughed any more in that body whose charms she had degraded to the vile servitude of her vanity. ❋ George MacDonald (1864)

Then they farewelled him and went down to look after the safety of their troops; and they ceased not to keep up the fires till the morning rose with its sheen and shone, when the fighting-men mounted their horses of noble strain and smote one another with thin-edged skean and with brawn of bill they thrust amain nor did they cease that day battle to darraign. ❋ Unknown (2006)

For a while I travelled around with a skean dhu which had a sheath and a special bit for scaling fish. ❋ Lindy (2008)

" He drew the tiny, hand-forged skean dhu, the little -black knife, " from its silk and leather sheath at his belt. ❋ Lackey, Mercedes (1993)

He drew the tiny, hand-forged skean dhu, the little "black knife," from its silk and leather sheath at his belt. ❋ Lackey, Mercedes (1993)

It was very quiet, until Rakhal added, in a gentle and curiously moderate voice, "Do you still carry a skean, Race?" ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

I buckled the final clasp of my shirtcloak, fitted my skean another notch into it, and counted the money Mack had advanced me for expenses. ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

I slipped the safety clasp from the hilt of my skean and went after him. ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

Rakhal whirled and with a quick jerk he pulled the skean loose. ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

The youngster I'd helped loading horses, the first day, gazed down at one of the catmen, half-disemboweled by somebody's skean, and suddenly bolted for the bushes, where I heard him retching. ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

Between my grappling hand he twisted and I felt the skean drive home, rip through my jacket with a tearing sound; felt the thin fine line of touch, not pain yet, as it sliced flesh. ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

We went down in a tangle of flailing legs and arms, and in less than a second he had his skean out and I was gripping his wrist, trying desperately to force the blade away from my throat. ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

It seemed empty, except for a few sodden derelicts sprawled in doorways -- the Street of the Six Shepherds is a filthy slum -- but I made sure my skean was loose. ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

I moved backward, hand on my skean, braced for a sudden rush. ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

I had come to settle one feud, not involve myself in another, but even while these lightning thoughts flickered in my mind, I had whipped out my skean and ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

I had known how to melt into this kind of night, shabby and inconspicuous, a worn shirtcloak hunched round my shoulders, weaponless except for the razor-sharp skean in the clasp of the cloak; walking on the balls of my feet like a Dry-towner, not looking or sounding or smelling like an Earthman. ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

I had my skean handy, but I had a hunch this wasn't anything I could settle with a skean. ❋ Marion Zimmer Bradley (1964)

-"Dude, [3 o'clock] check out those 3 girls in [skeans]" -"Nice, I love girls in skeans!" -"Yea man, those girls just [up'd] to 8s for wearing those" -"SHAWTY GOT [SKEANS]!" -"Wouldn't that ass look tight in skeans!?" ❋ Bbnttz (2008)

[Jacqui]: "Oh hey, see Chris over there," [Tayla]: "Yeah? Why?" Jacqui: "Look, he's [rockin'] the Skeans.." Tayla: "Eww" ❋ Someonenotrockinskeans (2011)

Mary, tired of her old True [Religions], had her [grandma] make them into a sweet pair of [skeans]. ❋ Thankyoubye (2009)

I need to buy a new pair of [skeans], but my hip to [ankle] ratio is all out of [whack]. ❋ Caseyrad666 (2010)

“[Did you] see that [teacher]? She’s [wearing] skeans!” ❋ Cornilius.duh (2023)

[Oi mate], I just skeaned [the toilet] [i'm sorry] ❋ Yeahmateyeahmate (2020)