Real Dictionary

rune
countable noun: Runes are letters from an alphabet that was used by people in Northern Europe in former times. They were carved on wood or stone and were believed to have magical powers.

rune in American English
any of the characters of an alphabet (futhark) probably derived from a Greek script and used by the Scandinavians and other early Germanic peoples from about a. d. 300

rune in American English 1
noun: any of the characters of certain ancient alphabets, as of a script used for writing the Germanic languages, esp. of Scandinavia and Britain, from c200 to c1200, or a script used for inscriptions in a Turkic language of the 6th to 8th centuries from the ar

rune in American English 2
noun: a poem, song, or verse

rune in British English
noun: any of the characters of an ancient Germanic alphabet, derived from the Roman alphabet, in use, esp in Scandinavia, from the 3rd century ad to the end of the Middle Ages. Each character was believed to have a magical significance