rune

noun

ˈrün 

1

: any of the characters of any of several alphabets used by the Germanic peoples from about the 3rd to the 13th centuries

2

: mystery, magic

3

[Finnish runo, of Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse rūn]

a

: a Finnish or Old Norse poem

b

: poem, song

runic

ˈrü-nik 

adjective

Illustration of rune

• Anglo-Saxon runic alphabet

Synonyms

• lyric
• poem
• song
• verse

Examples of rune in a Sentence

wrote many mournful runes after her lover's untimely death

Recent Examples on the Web

And then there are white supremacists, who have emblazoned themselves with swastikas, Norse runes, the SS logo, and other symbols. —Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 1 May 2025

Breaking these apart gives you rune stones, which can be channeled for casting magic. —David Jagneaux, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

Decoding runes Archaeologists have found runic inscriptions on various objects, including a bone comb and an iron knife, in addition to rune stones, which had various uses. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025

The discovery that the final rune, F, was marked out with puncts, or dots, to either side, indicating it could be understood as the name of the F-rune itself ‘feoh’ [wealth or property] unlocked the new translation. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Old Norse & Old English rūn mystery, runic character, writing; akin to Old High German rūna secret discussion, Old Irish rún mystery

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rune

• boon
• brune
• coon
• croon
• dune
• goon
• hewn
• hoon
• june
• loon
• moon
• noon

Kids Definition

rune

noun

ˈrün 

: any of the characters of an alphabet used by the Germanic peoples from about the 3rd to the 13th centuries

runic

ˈrü-nik 

adjective