scepter

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a ceremonial staff carried by a monarch as an emblem of royal authority

   The queen held the jeweled scepter during the coronation ceremony.

2. 2
   noun

   royal or imperial authority symbolized by such a staff

   After the emperor died, the scepter passed to his eldest daughter.

Simplified etymology

Sceptre entered Middle English through Old French ceptron and ultimately comes from Greek skēptron, based on skēptein, “to lean on.” The derivation reflects the tall stafflike sceptres carried by ancient rulers, rather than only the shorter ceremonial objects familiar today.

From Middle English sceptre, through Anglo-French and Latin sceptrum, from Greek skeptron 'staff or scepter', related to skeptesthai 'to prop oneself'. A staff used for support became a ruler's emblem and then a figure for sovereignty itself.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
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