/
ruːn/
n.
- a letter of an ancient Germanic alphabet, related to the Roman alphabet, used especially in Scandinavia.
▸a mysterious symbol, especially in a spell or incantation.
- an ancient Scandinavian poem or part of one.
Derivative
Etymology
OE rūn ‘a secret, mystery’; reintroduced in the late 17th cent. under the influence of ON rúnir, rúnar ‘magic signs, hidden lore’.