rune

Meaning

1. A letter, or character, used in the written language of various ancient Germanic peoples, especially the Scandinavians and the Anglo-Saxons.
2. A Finnic or Scandinavian epic poem, or a division of one, especially a division of the Kalevala.
3. A letter or mark used as a mystical or magic symbol.
4. A verse or song, especially one with mystical or mysterious overtones; a spell or an incantation.
5. (obsolete) Alternative form of roun (“secret or mystery”).
6. A Unicode code point.

Synonyms

runic letter

halter

incantation

letter

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹuːn/

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.