Skein

Definition: a bundle of yarn or a length of yarn; a tangled problem or mystery

The extended/metaphorical definition in many cases is “things that can be interwoven.” Examples:

• “A difficult or complicated situation”
• “A web, weave or tangle”

For example, plot threads are like skeins of yarn. I googled “skein plot” and I found a bunch of books and movies with it in the title, and none of them seem to be referring to yarn:

• On Skein of Death
• The Skein of Lament
• The Skein of Life

Why I Looked It Up

In a book about RAND corp:

All the different skeins that would eventually weave through Wolfowitz’s career were beliefs that were encouraged by Wohlsetter.