Definition of RUNE

rune

Plural: runes

Noun

  • A letter of an ancient Germanic alphabet; a mystic symbol.
  • any character from an ancient Germanic alphabet used in Scandinavia from the 3rd century to the Middle Ages
    • "each rune had its own magical significance"
  • A letter, or character, used in the written language of various ancient Germanic peoples, especially the Scandinavians and the Anglo-Saxons.
  • Any visually similar script, such as Hungarian runes (the Old Hungarian script) or Turkic runes (the Old Turkic script).
  • A Finnic or Scandinavian epic poem, or a division of one, especially a division of the Kalevala.
  • A letter or mark used as a mystical or magic symbol.
  • A verse or song, especially one with mystical or mysterious overtones; a spell or an incantation.
  • Alternative form of roun (“secret or mystery”).
  • A Unicode code point.

Examples

  • The obscure word felt like a forgotten rune, unlocking triple points on the Words With Friends board.

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed from Old Norse rún, which is from Proto-Germanic *rūnō (“letter, literature, secret”), which is borrowed either from Proto-Celtic *rūnā or from the same source as it; compare Dutch rune, German Rune, Raune, Danish rune and Swedish runa. Compare roun.
; "code point"

Synonyms

runic letter

Scrabble Score: 4

rune: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
rune: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
rune: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 6

rune: valid Words With Friends Word